Sleepless Shadows
by Isella of the wolf tribe
Summary: When a girl wishes to leave her abusive lifestyle to go someplace else, this WAS NOT what she meant. She didn't want to end up like this, stuck between two worlds, no way to live in either.
1. Chapter 1

**"Every human walks around with a certain kind of sadness. They may not wear it on their sleeves, but it's there if you look deep." - Taraji P. Henson**

* * *

12:12.

Twelve after midnight.

"I wish..." I closed my eyes as I faced the ceiling. Thunder flashed and rain poured down. _I wish I had the ability to leave this place and go to another dimension where I can make some real friends._ I opened my eyes, then sat up. My bed creaked as I shifted, then went downstairs. Lights were off and I traced my fingers along the wall to the kitchen. I opened the freezer and pulled out a jug of ice cream, then plopped on the couch taking a spoon and shoveling a bite into my mouth. I knew that wish wouldn't come true, but still...

My parents were abusive. I was an only child at thirteen, and for thirteen years they beat me and yelled in my face, blaming me for everything that happened. They never cared about me, only saw me as a tool. My dad was on the force, so the cops never helped. They only saw my dad as one of them, and no one ever believed me when I said that it was happening.

I glanced back down at the nearly empty ice cream jug. Damn. And that was a new one, too. I sighed, then finished it up and tossed it into the trash can. I'll have to take the trash out tomorrow... I closed the lid to the almost full can and headed back up to my room. I need to get to sleep. Not that I'll get much anyway... The door creaked as I walked into the room, then creaked again as I closed it and headed over to my bed. I'd have to get up at 6:00, parent's rule. I'd get another beating if I slept in even for a minute.

I reached over and set the alarm for 6:00, then quietly crept into the bed, pulling the thin covers over my body and placing my head on the hard board of a bed. Goodnight...

* * *

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

My eyes opened in haste. I flung up my body, falling off the bed. "Ow!" White sheets covered my body and I felt pain coursing through my veins. I looked at my arms. What was I- No, what happened to me? I looked around the room as the beeping continued. I was in a hospital dorm. Had people finally come and helped me?

The door flung open and nurses ran in, all freaking out and speaking with each other. One of them started yelling at another, then helped me back to the bed. Then, the room was quiet once again. The lady turned to me with a smile. Her lips moved, but whatever came out, I didn't understand. The doctor clearly saw my confusion and yelled to another nurse once again, pointing to the door. The nurse ran out, and the doctor turned to me once again, repeating the words. I shook my head at her. The doctor looked thoughtful, then smiled as she grabbed her clipboard and wrote down something, then handed the board to me. I stared at the weird symbols in distain. Where was I? What language was this? I handed the clipboard back to the lady, who looked very worried. She said something else, then shook her head. She brought her hand to her lips and made a motion. She wants me to speak? The woman than pointed to herself. There was silence between the two.

"I- think I understand..." I said. The woman looked surprised, then turned, yelling at the door once again. The same nurse as before ran in. The two exchanged a few words, then the nurse ran out once again. "Um, can you understand me? 'Cause I can't understand you. Where am I? How did I get here?" The doctor just smiled, then shook her head, motioning to her ear and my mouth. "I'll take that as a no."

The nurse came back in, handing a little device to the doctor. The doctor nodded, then placed it against my chest. I flinched and the doctor brought her hand up, showing me her hand as she twitched it. She pointed at the machine, then nodded. After a second I nodded back. I... Think I understood... I flinched and yelped as a small zap surged through my chest, reaching to my legs and to my feet, through my arms and to my hands, up my neck and to my brain. It was only a split second, but man did it hurt! I looked down at the little machine on my chest and fingered it lightly. A little zap coursed through my body once again. "Ow!"

"Sorry. Is it working?" I looked up at the doctor.

"W-what?"

"Is it working? I can understand you. The machine is translating. Can you understand me?"

"Y-yes. What is it? Where am I? Who are you?" The woman laughed.

"It is a translator, for people who come from far away and speak another language. It's much faster, and more effective. Especially for people who just suddenly wake in a hospital from a coma."

"A coma?"

"Yes. We found you sitting outside, almost dead. We brought you in, but you were already in a coma. As for your other questions, you are in Yorknew City hospital. You can call me Renai."

"Y-Yorknew City Hospital?"_ Never heard of it. And I was in a coma? What happened while I slept?_ The doctor nodded, still smiling.

"That devise is stuck firmly to you. As long as it stays, you should be fine. If it comes off, which will be very painful, you will once again be unable to understand people, and they will be unable to understand you. What is your name?" _My name?_

"It's Bai-" I cut myself off. My name was Baise. An ugly name my parents gave because they didn't care. I had a chance. A chance for a new name, a new life. "Basil. What time is it? What day?"

"Oh, yes, it is January 11th, 1:20 a.m.." I nodded my thanks. "Um, this might sound weird, but what country am I in?" The lady giggled.

"Oh dear, you must be from really far away. You are in the country of Sahelta, on the Yorbian continent." I paled. WHAT?! That is impossible! The wish, that had to be it. Either that or, this was just a dream. The doctor must've seen my worry, because she asked, "Where are you from?"

"Um, I- You wouldn't have heard of it..."

"I'm sure I have."

"No, I'm sure you haven't."

"Try me," the doctor insisted. I sighed.

"Asia..." I said slowly.

"Oh, the Azian continent! Wow, you've come far!" I sighed. Crisis averted. "So what brings you all the way here, Basil?" I paused. I just woke up in an unfamiliar place, probably in a different dimension, and what reason did I have for being here? This could, after all, be a dream. But, no, I did have a reason. The wish. I wanted to escape. I wanted to live a fun life with friends, not sit and get abused by parents every day.

"I-my parents... They are abusive, so I ran away..." It was as good of an excuse as any.

"Oh, you poor thing! That's why you're so skinny and frail!" I looked at my skin. I was skinny and frail? "I'll make sure that you will be taken care of here. You will be able to relax, and your parents will never be able to land a finger on you ever again." I smiled at her, but it was a fake smile. I did not wish to be cooped up in a hospital room. I was free. I wanted to leave. I wanted to get out of here, and live my own life.

"Thank you," I said. It was a sincere thank you. It was nice to have someone who cared, someone who believed me. But I didn't need to stay here.

I watched as the doctor stood to get something, then turned to me. "I'll be right back, dear. I just need to go file some paperwork. If you need anything, just ring the bell." And with that, she left. I was alone in the room. I stood, walking over to the door. Second floor. Easy. I had escaped out second floor windows several times. Even some third and fourth levels. I walked over, ditching my hospital rags and wires, then grabbed bed sheets and tied them together with intense speed, I carefully took the screen out of the window, then tossed the end of the cloth rope out it. I looked down, then hopped out, sliding carefully down the line. Reaching the ground, I hopped off, then ran.

It was dark. The streets were lit brightly, and it was surprisingly easy to see. It didn't seem like a dream. I'd never had dreams as vivid as this. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't had much dreams lately at all. I looked up at the sky. It was surprisingly clear. _Where am I?_ I continued to run. I would need to get far away from here. Find a map, find transportation, a job... Anything.

I continued running until I reached a harbor. A bunch of boats were tied out. I looked around for anyone, but everyone was out. There wouldn't be anyone until the morning.

I found a nice bundle of cloth aboard one of the boats and boarded, laying down and staring into the sky. The sun would presumably be coming up in four hours. And strangely enough, I wasn't tired. Had I been out for long? I didn't know. I continued to stare up at the sky. Finally, I sat back up, bored. I decided to explore the boat.

It was just a normal boat, nothing special about it. But I guess I was hoping to find something interesting. Something to pass time. I sighed, then sat back down in my designated cloth pile. I finally just closed my eyes.

* * *

"Hey, who're you?" I sat up, blinking my eyes open. I hadn't fallen asleep, unfortunately, but now there was someone here. Someone who I could possibly pass time with.

"Huh?" I blinked at the man, adjusting my eyes. He was short, kind of fat. He looked like a captain, with the stiff white beard and mustache, red nose, and sailor cap. He kind of reminded me of a sailor Santa crossed with Rudolf. I tried to hold in a giggle.

"Who are you, little girl? What is your name?"

"Basil," I replied.

"Why are you on my ship, Basil? Are you wanting to take the Hunter Exams?" I paused at that. Hunter Exams?

"Um, well, I can answer truthfully, or revised truthfully. Which would you prefer?" The man started to laugh.

"I like you kid. How about you give me both?"

"I need a ride out of here. I don't know what the Hunter Exams are, but they sound interesting. I might try them. What are they?"

"The Hunter Exam is a yearly event that one must pass in order to become a Hunter; an elite member of humanity. These exams consist of several tests and stages. So far 289 Hunter exams have taken place," the man started. This spiked my interest. These Hunter Exams sounded really interesting so far. "There are many benefits, which will be obtained when you pass. You will get a Hunter License, which will allow you to use 95% of all public facilities at no cost. Access is granted to about 90% of countries which normally restrict the entry of outsiders, and access to 75% of areas that the general public is prohibited from. Not to mention you get a lot of money. Now, the registration ended on December 31st, but you are an interesting gal, if you're interested, stick with me and I can let you take them."

I nodded. "Yes! I definitely want to take them! Why wouldn't I?"

"Alright then. But let me tell you, due to the large numbers of people who want to become hunters, the Exam phases tend to be very hard. Many end up dead or handicapped." I nodded. It was going to be dangerous. But if she could succeed... It would be worth it. "You still want to do it?" I stood.

"Yes," I replied. The man sighed.

"Kids. Why do so many want to take the exam, knowing there are so many fatalities?" He started forward. "We'll be taking off at six. Get some rest." I shrugged.

"I've tried. Can't sleep."

"Fine. Then help me get the boat ready."

"Yes sir!" I quickly ran over, helping him get the boat ready for its travel in the morning. The two of us cleaned, scrubbed, and put up sails and other items in the boat. The man taught me much about how to work a boat, though I knew I wouldn't remember it all...

He soon fell asleep on a hammock he set up, while I continued to clean. I scrubbed every inch until it was spotless. In the end, I was really proud of myself. The boat looked great! In a way, I was kind of glad that I was forced to clean up after my parents. I had to make sure I got every single speck of dust off everything, or else I would get punished. I had a lot of experience with cleaning and cooking, and whatever else had to be taken care of. The pain no longer hurt; I was very pain tolerant. So when I accidentally cut my finger on a fishing hook, trying to get the rod ready for storage, I payed no heed and quickly cleaned up the blood down to the last speck. I wrapped my finger up, then grabbed a net. I was done, and the sun had already started to get up. I walked out to the deck and threw the net into the water. Minutes later, I pulled it up. I had caught two crabs, four fish, and a clam. I tossed the clam back into the water, then started to gut and cook the fish and crabs.

The man was woken by the smell of the food. He got out of his bed, yawning, then sleepily walked over and stared at me. I handed him a fish on a stick, and he took it. "Thank you." He sniffed it, then took a bite. His eyes widened slightly, then he smiled. "This is good." He quickly ate it, as well as his second fish and crab. I ate my share, then cleaned up. "Thank you, Basil," he said. "You're sweet. And a good cook. Well, it's time to head out. You ready?" I nodded happily, then he started towards the captain's room, me on toe. He continued to glance around. "Wow, it's never been this clean. You sure you aren't magical or something?" I laughed.

"No, I was just... Taught to do this. Thanks." Well, taught was one way to put it... The captain and I finally reached the room where the wheel was. He pointed out buttons and rods, switches and other obscure objects. I tried my best to learn all the names and uses, then he finally got to teaching me how to man the boat. I placed my hands on the wheel while the man stood behind me, guiding my movements. My eyes widened in wonder, and I grinned at the man. I had never done something like this before... All these people, they were so kind, and I-

"Hey, why are you crying?" The man asked, slightly panicked.

"It's just I- No one's ever been this kind to me... I was always abused by my parents, and I finally got away. And now it finally seems like life is, better, you know?" The man smiled, pulling me into a hug. I buried my face in his chest. "Thank you."

* * *

I would have liked to say we spent the rest of the day on the sea. It was only six hours later when my world suddenly fell apart.

"Hey, I'm going to catch something for lunch!" I said happily, running outside to the deck with a fishing pole. The other man grinned, following with a fishing pole of his own.

"Care for a competition?" I grinned.

"Sure!" The man and I ran over to the edge, then, at the same time, threw out ends off the boat. We sat there in silence, waiting. The smoke from the man's cigar engulfed my nose. It was really bad for people's health... I was thinking too much. I had learned to be able to smell out poisons and chemicals, and tell what they were. I had to. Several times my father had tried to poison me, so I knew I had to be able to tell, or die. It was hard, but after nights of puking up blood I found it useful, and I decided to learn. I was a fast learner, and once my parents discovered I could tell, they tested me constantly, and made me sniff out their own food. Like someone would poison them. Besides me. But I wasn't that kind of person.

The line on the older man's pole started to move and he grinned. He started to pull it in. It was a big one.

"Wow, you're really-" I was cut off as I started to fall. The last thing I saw before blacking out was the man's concerned face as he reached out to catch me before I hit the ground.

* * *

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE-

I slammed my fist into the alarm clock beside me, causing it to fall off the desk and onto the floor. I shifted my feet off the bed, then yawned and looked around the grey room. I blinked, then a tear somehow found its way down my face. So... It was just a dream then? I sighed at I cleaned up the mess I had made from the alarm clock and quickly got dressed in a matter of seconds, then went downstairs to make breakfast for my parents. What a long day this'll be...


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, here is the second chapter of Sleepless Shadows!** **Hopefully you'll understand all the time lapses... To put simply, time is halved in the dimension she isn't in. Yes, she'll return to the Hunter X Hunter world. Just give it time, you'll understand soon enough how it works. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!**

**_Maro-Lei_ \- Thank you so much! Your support is appreciated! Cookie for you, reviewer number 1!**

**_Sirenightsorrow_ \- I agree. Unfortunately, that wasn't her wish, and the world likes to be cruel. But you know... There is a certain person in a certain world that has the ability to make wises come true... ;3**

* * *

**"If you don't think your anxiety, depression, sadness, and stress impact your physical health, think again. All of these emotions trigger chemical reactions in your body, which can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system. Learn how to cope, sweet friend. There will always be dark days." - Kris Carr**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE-_

_I slammed my fist into the alarm clock beside me, causing it to fall off the desk and onto the floor. I shifted my feet off the bed, then yawned and looked around the grey room. I blinked, then a tear somehow found its way down my face. So... It was just a dream then? I sighed as I cleaned up the mess I had made from the alarm clock and quickly got dressed in a matter of seconds, then went downstairs to make breakfast for my parents. What a long day this'll be..._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Baise! You idiot! Why can't you do anything correctly?!" I hesitated to dodge a lamp being thrown in my direction, letting the glass shards cut up my face.

"It won't happen again," I replied, not bothering to say sorry. 'Sorry' just infuriated them more.

"Like hell it won't!" My mother yelled. "Now clean up this goddamn mess and get to f**king work! Then, replace that lamp!"

"Yes, Mom." I replied, bending down to clean up the shards of broken ceramics. My mom left the room, but I knew better than to say something to her. I'd clean up my face later. I was able to dodge the attacks, but I knew it would make them even more angry, so I just let them land. Sure it hurt like heck, but I couldn't really do anything about it. At least my skin was toughening up. I was able to withstand a lot of force, I was able to take it. It didn't cause me as much pain as it used to.

I tossed the shards into a bag, then took it, as well as other garbage items, out and to a large can. I walked back in, then, glancing around to make sure my parents weren't watching, hurried up to my room. I ran into my bathroom and started to tend to my face. I stared at the pale skinned, dark brown haired girl in the mirror, matching my dull brown eyed gaze to hers. My face was just as pale as the white cloth that covered it. I sighed, then went back downstairs to clean up, once again, a mess that had been left by my father. I made sure not to touch anything of importance to him, then started to get lunch ready. I had no time to eat breakfast. I was so hungry, but like I could do anything about that... I never had much time to care for myself. When I did, it was caring for wounds or sleeping. They worked me non-stop...

I started to fix a stew, letting it sit and broil, then left to the hallway. I stared at my parent's room in disdain. I needed to go out to get the new lamp, but I would get a beating if I left now, and I would get a beating if I knocked to tell them I was leaving to do it. And If I didn't get it, I would also get a beating. The only way for me to get the lamp was somehow buying it without leaving the house. And before you say, oh, that's easy, let me tell you. I can't get on the computer. Period. Now tell me, what do I do?

I sighed, then went over to the room. I hesitantly sat there, then slowly reached out a hand to knock. The door flung open, revealing my mother, a portly old lady, jewelry encasing the majority of her half naked body, died red hair slicked back and curled.

"What do you want, B***h?" She said. I looked straight at her face.

"I'm leaving for-"

"Leaving?!" My mother screeched. She grasped my shirt, dragging me into the room and throwing me onto the floor. "Bob, our b***h says she's leaving!"

"What?!" A man, my father, entered the room, shaving cream on half his face, a knife in the other. God, I knew what was coming, and I couldn't do anything about it. If I tried to correct them, it would still happen, and there was nothing I could do. These people were idiots, you know?

My father stomped over, slamming his foot against my side. I rolled over, hitting the leg of the bed. He spat down at me, his spit encasing my face. I flinched slightly.

"For the lamp," I said.

"What?!" My mother screamed.

"I'm going to buy a new lamp for you. A fancy one, just like you asked."

"Don't be smart with me, or your father, you hear?!" I stayed down, not moving.

"OK."

"OK?" My father bent down, his large shadow falling over me. "Baise, are you talking back?" I knew it. "Huh?!"

"No." I had to answer. Unfortunately, this was one of the times, every answer was wrong. Yes would get me a beating. No would get me a beating. Maybe would get me a beating. Silence would get me a beating.

"No?! I think you are!" A sharp pain flared in my shoulder as my father dug his knife into my skin, twisting it. I flinched in pain as the sharp metal dug through my muscle and against my bone. I said nothing, taking it. It was all I could do. I was powerless against it.

* * *

I cried. I sat there, at the fountain, crying. My shoulder was healed. The blood had stopped long ago, but the pain in my heart could not stop. I just wished... I wished someone would help. Say a friendly, 'hello, are you OK?' But no one stopped. Everyone left the poor little girl alone. I laid on my back, letting my arm dangle in the cool water of the fountain. I stared up at the sky, then flinched as I remembered the enraged face of my father while he cut through my arm.

I had finally escaped. Finally, outside. I was in town, trying to find a lamp. At least I had told them. I would get another beating when I got home for leaving without permission, but at least I told them. It was worth a shot.

I needed to be home before lunchtime in order to feed my parents. I was starving, so I might be able to get something to eat in town. I closed my eyes. But first, I needed to rest. I was exhausted, I was sure. Exhausted from my parents, exhausted from my life, exhausted from the world... I let my mind wander as I sniffled in tears.

* * *

I felt swaying. I felt like I was swaying... Back and forth, back and forth. I groaned, then sat up. I looked around, then recognized the boat. It was the same boat as before... I was covered in cloth, and the captain's coat was hung over me. I looked around for the captain, but he was nowhere to be seen. I stood, a little wobbly on my legs, then started towards the cabin to look for my friend. I found him, steering the boat. He looked dismayed.

"Sir?" I said. He flinched, then turned, shock on his face.

"Basil?!" He let go of the wheel, then ran over, embracing me in a hug and twirling me around.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow..." I said. He quickly let me down.

"Sorry. What happened? Are you OK? You were out for two hours!" Two hours...? It had been four back in my own world. "You're skin! It's covered in scars!" I flinched. The captain suddenly got a stern look on his face and straightened up, crossing his arms. "Tell me. Now. The truth. What happened to you?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

"That's what the doctor said..." I sighed, then sat down. "I don't know what to say..."

"Everything. Start from the beginning. We have time."

"Well, I might not." The captain raised an eyebrow.

"Well then, continue." I sighed once more.

"Well, my parents are abusive..."

"Yes, you said that. But how can your parents get to you while you're here?"

"Because I... I'm not really... Here." The man raised an eyebrow again.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm from a different dimension. It seems whenever I sleep I come here. I thought this was just a dream, but it's too real. It feels too real. But yeah, it seems like whenever I'm in one, the other I'm sleeping or in a coma." The man stroked his beard, then shrugged.

"Guess it's as good an explanation I'm going to get. Ah, guess I say I believe you. How can you prove it?" I paused, then remembered my shoulder. I started to take off my shirt. The man's face flushed, then he saw the wound and his eyes widened.

"My father. He did it two hours ago, or in this world, one hour ago." The man turned to me, then nodded.

"Fine. However, if what you say is true, I cannot protect you from them. And this might cause you trouble in the hunter exams. You'll have to make close friends who you can tell this to. If you don't, I'd say you will most likely not pass. Imagine, you get called back to your world on the side of a cliff? Or while running from an angry animal? It can be deadly, and if you don't have someone who can carry you and protect you for at least 12 hours, it _will_ be deadly." I nodded.

"I know. I wished for this, and this is what I got. I can't complain." There was silence, then the man turned back to the wheel.

"Put your shirt on," he mumbled. I smiled, then complied.

"Have any food? I'm starving!" The man chuckled, then motioned to a basket of fish. He turned and winked at me.

"Was saving them in case you woke back up." I chuckled, then grabbed the fish and started to cook them.

"Though, I need to get back to my world at some point. My mother slammed a lamp in my face, so I had to go buy a new one. I need to get it and make it back home before they start to get angry I stayed out too long." The man nodded. "I don't know when though. Anything happening here soon?"

"Well, I'm currently headed to a couple ports to pick up some applicants. At this rate, it'll take me two and a half days to get to the first, than a bit over one more day to get to the next." I nodded.

"That'll be over a week in my world..." It struck me though. Time was half as long here when I was in my world, but when I had first gotten here, it was the other way around. Did it mean that the world I was not in time went by half as fast? It made sense... "Or if I stay here, two days." The captain turned to me in confusion, and I explained my hypothesis about the time lapses. He brought a hand to his chin and stroked his beard, then smiled and shrugged.

"Well, gives you more time here without being away from there for too long. You said you come here when you sleep? And when you wake up, you immediately go back to the other - your - world. What happens when you sleep here?" I blinked.

"Huh, good question... I mean, thinking about it in terms, I haven't gotten any sleep since the sleep I got before making the wish... But I don't feel tired at all, just exhausted. In the other world, when I wake up, I feel like I had been sleeping, but here, I feel no need to sleep at all. And when I first met you, I couldn't fall asleep."

"Couldn't, or just didn't feel like it?" The captain asked. "Because you didn't know this before... So it's possible you just didn't feel like sleeping, but if you tried now, you might be able to."

"True... Well, if my theory is correct, I need to head back to my world real soon, or my parents will get mad. I'll see you later." I turned, waving a sad smile to the captain, then started away.

"Wait!" I turned back to the man. "Look, I know I can't help you in your world, but maybe you can help yourself. Have you ever heard of Nen?" I shook my head. The man smiled. "Well then, this might help you then. When you get back, I might just teach you a little about it." I grinned, then thanked the man and ran out to my little bundle of cloth to see if I could actually fall asleep in this world. I laid down, then closed my eyes. I wasn't tired, like always, but I would see. I let my mind drift, feeling my body rock with the boat. I focused on my breathing. Minutes later, I found myself asleep.

* * *

I opened my eyes, then sat up, moaning. My body was stiff from laying on the fountain edge, and I stretched my arms to crack my back. My eyes blinked back the bright sunlight and I looked down at my watch. I was correct. Time was halved in the dimension I wasn't in. However, it could still be a dream. It was just too unreal. Maybe a reoccurring dream or something. But if it was real...

I shook my head. It was impossible. But at the same time...

I didn't know. I didn't know what to think. I decided to put it in the back of my mind as I stood up and headed over to a general store to look for a lamp. If it was real, I had a week. I could try and run away, though I had tried that, and people found me. Maybe I could learn that Nen, and if it worked in this world, use it to escape. Whatever it was.

I quickly bought the lamp, then started home. On my way I passed a library, and quickly paused in there to look up Nen on the internet. _Nen... A technique that allows a living being to use and manipulate their own life energy (known as aura)._ I gasped, earning a 'shush' from the librarian, than quickly read more.

I looked at the time, then closed the page and logged out, racing out and to my house. If this was real... Maybe the captain would help me come up with a way to run away. For good. And this time, no one, not the cops, not her parents, no one... No one could stop her.

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter. Well, this was actually long, for me, but I had a goal to try to make each chapter at least 3,000 words... Couldn't think of anything else to add here. Well, now to get onto the next chapter, where she'll learn Nen!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the third chapter of Sleepless Shadows! Don't worry, she'll meet Gon and the crew soon! Although, there is going to be quite a bit of sadness in this chapter. Gah! I'm trying to make the chapters longer, but it's so hard! I promise, the next chapter will be longer than this. If it isn't, I'll... refrain from letting myself eat candy for Halloween! *Le gasp* I swear!  
**

**Oh, speaking of swearing, the abusive parents swear a lot, whenever they speak. Basil doesn't swear unless she is very angry... Spoiler Alert! Don't read the end of the chapter if you hate swearing... Actually, read it, but please don't hate me... I really hate swearing as well... And I know with the amount of swearing there is, it should be rated higher, but there's not going to be any more for a long time. It's just this chapter. At least I think. I don't know.**

* * *

**"I really believe that all of us have a lot of darkness in our souls. Anger, rage, fear, sadness. I don't think that's only reserved for people who have horrible upbringings. I think it really exists and is part of the human condition. I think in the course of your life you figure out ways to deal with that." - Kevin Bacon**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_I opened my eyes, then sat up, moaning. My body was stiff from laying on the fountain edge, and I stretched my arms to crack my back. My eyes blinked back the bright sunlight and I looked down at my watch. I was correct. Time was halved in the dimension I wasn't in. However, it could still be a dream. It was just too unreal. Maybe a reoccurring dream or something. But if it was real..._

_I shook my head. It was impossible. But at the same time..._

_I didn't know. I didn't know what to think. I decided to put it in the back of my mind as I stood up and headed over to a general store to look for a lamp. If it was real, I had a week. I could try and run away, though I had tried that, and people found me. Maybe I could learn that Nen, and if it worked in this world, use it to escape. Whatever it was._

_I quickly bought the lamp, then started home. On my way I passed a library, and quickly paused in there to look up Nen on the internet. Nen... A technique that allows a living being to use and manipulate their own life energy (known as aura). I gasped, earning a 'shush' from the librarian, than quickly read more._

_I looked at the time, then closed the page and logged out, racing out and to my house. If this was real... Maybe the captain would help me come up with a way to run away. For good. And this time, no one, not the cops, not her parents, no one... No one could stop her._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"And?" I pouted, flinching as the captain placed an ointment on my forehead where there was a giant cut from the fight my mom had had with me.

"I said something without thinking, and she had a fit."

"And?" The captain repeated.

"And what? I already told you the story! Ow!" I flinched as the man pressed hard in the middle of my forehead. He was frowning in a serious matter, meaning I had done something wrong.

"Why didn't you just tell her that what she was doing was wrong, and tell her what the consequences of her actions will be?"

"She knows. She doesn't care. I know them enough, I know how they'll react to certain things I say, and I know how they think. I can't do anything right in their eyes, and no one believes me because they're so _sweet_ around them. I've tried everything, and I don't know what to do!"

"Hm... Well, if I were you, I'd just find someone in that world you trust and-"

"I've already told you! No one believes me, and whenever I do _anything_, I get hurt!"

"Then use that to your benefit. Tell someone, someone important. Someone who can't ignore you no matter what. Then get it on video." I just shook my head.

"I've even tried that... They found the tape and disposed of it. I can't do anything without them noticing."

"Shit!" The captain swore, pounding his fist on the table. "There's got to be something you can do!"

"That's why I came to you. I thought you could help." The captain sighed.

"Well, I can't think of anything. You've tried everything I can think of. But you said... No one has Nen in your world?" I shook my head. "Then you can use that to your advantage. That's all I can think of. Now, let me tell you about Nen."

The captain droned on about Nen and what it was, how it worked in this world. It sounded like magic to me. But if this worked, I could possibly be able to escape my parents. I would finally be free. I would be able to stay in this world, make friends, live my life... I'd never go back. The other world had nothing for me.

"Take off your shirt." I blinked.

"Wait, what?"

"Sorry, that sounded bad. Let me rephrase that. I'm going to help open your pores. This is the aggressive method, and the fastest. I've been monitoring your body, and I don't think you'd be able to do it the deliberate way." I nodded. "You're body might not be able to handle this though, so I-"

"I can handle it. I might look fragile, but I'm tougher than I seem." The captain chuckled.

"I can see that. Now take off your shirt." I complied, taking off my shirt and turning my back to face him. I felt his hands waver near my skin, and my hair raised. Half because of anticipation, half because of fear. I felt him pause, then turned back to look at him. He looked like he was lost in concentration, then looked at my face. "Sorry. Your skin, it's-"

"Yeah, I know. Scars, bruises, veins showing..."

"Yes, but also, I felt something, so I used Gyo." Gyo. From what he had told me, it was focusing Nen on your eyes. First you needed to know Ren though. Ren was the expansion of Nen. Gyo would let you see through In, which hid Nen. It all confused me, but it was the truth about it, and so I remembered it and kept repeating it, over and over, so I would not forget.

"And? What, I already have Nen?"

"No, but your veins are coursing with it. It's like it's mixed into your blood... But it's not yours. It seems to be someone else's. What happened when you first got here?" It was then I remembered the translation devise on my chest.

"Oh, could it be this?" I asked, turning to face him and pointing at the object stuck into my skin right between my breasts. His eyes widened as he stared at it, then a slight blush came to his cheeks.

"Oh, that's a translation devise. That makes sense... So without it you can't understand me?"

"And you can't understand me. And the doctor said it would be painful to remove."

"Ah, yes, because the Nen is coursing through your veins. It'd cut off your translation, thus cutting off the Nen, so suddenly, it'd be very painful. Much worse than a shock."

"A shock?"

"The pain you got when you got it first 'installed.'"

"Oh."

"I bet it doesn't hurt when you touch it anymore." I nodded, fingering the devise. I barely noticed it was there. My eyes widened slightly as I looked at the man.

"It was on my body when I transferred over to my world."

"Hm... Interesting."

"At least I think. I didn't pay attention... I didn't notice it." The man nodded. "Does this mean I can't do it the aggressive method?" The man nodded.

"The aggressive method, as I said before, means I use Ren on you to open your pores. Unfortunately, with the Nen coursing inside you how it is now, it'd disrupt it and could be very dangerous. Even deadly. But you should be able to open them yourself the deliberate way."

"But you said-" The man waved a finger.

"That was before I noticed you had Nen coursing through your veins. Now, it'll also make it faster, since all you have to do is train. You should have them open, by my prediction, when the Hunter Exams start." I grinned, then held my hands behind my back and shuffled a foot along the ground.

"Well, as long as I get it before then."

"Oh, and I would prefer if you didn't tell people about Nen. You see, Nen is dangerous, and in the wrong hands it could be very bad." I nodded, understanding. "The reason I'm telling _you_ is because I trust you, and I feel like you are not a bad person." I grinned, embracing the man in a hug. "Um, Basil, your shirt." I flinched, then quickly pulled on my shirt, embarrassed. "So... Is your name really Basil?" I paused, frowning.

"No." There was silence.

"Whatever. Whatever you want to be called is fine. I'm sure with horrid parents like yours you'd want to name yourself something else." I looked up at him, slightly shocked, as a tear fell down the side of my face. I then smiled, wiping the tear away, then turned towards the open sea.

"So, how do we start training?"

"Don't you have to get back to your world here?" I shook my head.

"I had ten minutes there. That's twenty minutes here." The man grinned.

"Well then, let's get to work."

"Yes, sensei!" The man shook his head.

"No need. My name is Kaijinmaru" I grinned.

"Alright, Kai-san!" The man sighed, then smiled as he brought a jug of alcohol to his lips. I frowned at it, then sighed and turned away from him. He started teaching me punches and other tricks, and I practiced. I felt his eyes on me as I trained in silence for the fifteen minutes I was there, then I went to sleep.

I woke up almost immediately after I fell asleep, sitting up in my bed. I looked around, then pulled up my shirt. Yup, it was there. The translation devise. Did it work here? I never gave it any thought. I would have to find someone who spoke another language and see. Or maybe it only worked with the other world's language...

I shrugged, then stretched and walked downstairs. 2 - 7 days in this world... Depending how much time I spent in the other... Then there would be others on the boat.

I started to cook dinner while I thought, also keeping my mind open for other things. Like my parents. They had asked for something 'exotic' for dinner. The only thing they considered 'exotic' was... Something like buffalo. Where the heck do I get buffalo?! Or kangaroo?! And something that wasn't meat from Africa, Antarctica, or Australia wasn't considered exotic. At least to them. And now I had to grill a bunch of burgers for them. It was terrible! I wanted to go back to the captain and train!

I was so lost in thought and annoyed I accidentally started to burn the meat. I started to freak and quickly fixed my mistake, but it was already too late. My parents had started down. They turned the corner and glared at me. I didn't meet their gazes.

"What are you doing, Baise?" My mother asked. I turned to them.

"Cooking you an exotic hamburger. Would you like your buns toasted or not?"

"How dare you speak to us like that!" My father screeched. "How is that exotic?! It looks like a normal hamburger!"

"It's made of giraffe."

"Are you speaking back to me?!" I continued cooking the hamburgers. "Huh?!"

"No."

"I think you are!" He started stomping towards me. I growled inwardly. He was going to slam my face against the grill, and then I was going to scream out in pain. Then he and my mom would laugh and walk away while I sat there, crying as my face burned. As my father grabbed hold of my hair, he glared at the burgers. "And look at these burgers! They look terrible!" I couldn't stand it. I knew everything that would happen, but yet... I felt my face being pushed forward and grit my teeth.

No.

I felt the heat.

No.

I started to resist.

No!

My father pushed harder.

NO!

I flung my foot out, tripping my father. I swung my hands around, pushing him away. I lost a chunk of my hair in the process, but he was away from me, and my face wasn't seared. My father and I locked gazes before his eyes flashed pure anger and he ran at me, going for my shoulders.

"How dare you, B***h!" I heard him yell. I easily moved out of the way for once in my life and the older man stumbled.

"I won't take your f***ing sh*t anymore, father," I spat. "You and mother continuously abuse me every f***ing day. I try to please you and try to do as you ask and yet you still try and f***ing kill me."

"We should have f***ing killed you long ago," I heard from behind me as my mother grabbed me. My mind blanked, seeing exactly what was happening as I couldn't move, and my father grabbed a knife.

"This time, I'm aiming lower." He thrust the knife at me. I struggled, then the pain hit me as knife hit flesh. My eyes squinted closed from the hurt, then there was silence.


	4. Chapter 4

**Just to warn you, the re-cap has the swearing. Well, onto the next chapter!**

**_Sirenightsparrow_ \- No, they did not kill her. I tried to make it sound like they did though. I mean, they were _trying_. But no, she's perfectly alive. There wouldn't be a story if she died now, would there? Unless it was a ghost story, but this isn't a ghost story. :3**

* * *

**"The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy." - Jim Rohn**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_I flung my foot out, tripping my father. I swung my hands around, pushing him away. I lost a chunk of my hair in the process, but he was away from me, and my face wasn't seared. My father and I locked gazes before his eyes flashed pure anger and he ran at me, going for my shoulders._

_"How dare you, B***h!" I heard him yell. I easily moved out of the way for once in my life and the older man stumbled._

_"I won't take your f***ing sh*t anymore, father," I spat. "You and mother continuously abuse me every f***ing day. I try to please you and try to do as you ask and yet you still try and f***ing kill me."_

_"We should have f***ing killed you long ago," I heard from behind me as my mother grabbed me. My mind blanked, seeing exactly what was happening as I couldn't move, and my father grabbed a knife._

_"This time, I'm aiming lower." He thrust the knife at me. I struggled, then the pain hit me as knife hit flesh. My eyes squinted closed from the hurt, then there was silence._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I limped out of the house as fast as I could, holding my chest in pain. Blood dripped down my leg from the wound my father had created. The knife was aimed for my heart, and I surely would have died if it weren't for my flexibility bringing my leg up to protect my chest. The knife had slammed into my leg, hitting the bone. It was immense pain, but the shock or whatever is was allowed me to fling my mother into my father and I raced out of there. Well, raced was a relative term... I ran as fast as I could without using my left leg too much. Hopefully my father and mother would have too hard a time to figure out what happened after I got far enough away.

I had no such luck. The door flung open and my father ran out, steaming. He charged at me, and I could do nothing. I couldn't run, I was in pain, and he was much faster than me in the current position we were in. Why? Why was this happening? Why did life do this to me?!

I stopped, then turned, anger coursing through my veins as I aimed a punch right at my father's face. His eyes widened slightly, then he was flung backward. Blood spilled from his nose which I could tell was broken. I knew he wouldn't get up anytime soon. I turned back in my direction away from my house and started to limp away again.

* * *

"Where are you?"

"Some alleyway downtown."

"And you sure they won't get you?"

"Kai-san, I broke my father's nose. There's a trail of blood everywhere. Of course they'll find me. They'll probably send the cops after me."

"Then find someplace to hide! Someplace they won't find you if you're out for a hour or two!" The captain took a swig of his alcoholic beverage.

"Captain, you're drunk."

"So what if I am?! I'm worried about you! They threatened to kill you! If it weren't for-"

"And that's precisely why they'll either, one, find me on their own then kill me, or two, leave me alone." The captain sighed.

"Go back and find a better hiding place. I helped sanitize your wound and get it all wrapped up, so you should be able to get out of there and find a place out of the city to hide." I sighed, then nodded. Even though the captain was drunk, he had a point. I turned back to my bed the captain had made up for me, then laid down and fell asleep.

I woke up in a dank, dark, alleyway. Dried blood pooled around me. I flinched as I fingered the bandage around my leg, then stood. I glanced around, then ran. I made sure to stick in the shadows, in the alleys, and anywhere else I could to make sure no one spotted me. I used some money I had in my pocket and waved a cab to take me out the city. The cab driver took me as far as he could with the money I handed him, then tossed me out into the cold, driving away. I was sure staying here or staying in this direction wasn't a very good idea, because he might tell the cops, so I turned around and started in a direction, not back the way I had come, but to the other side of the city. Hopefully that would throw them off course.

I made it past the city, finally, and was walking along the beach. I could hear the sirens blaring from the city. _So they_ did _end up calling the cops. Feh._

I found a little hideout, somewhat like a cave, where I made myself at home. I rubbed my arms and breathed against my hands, shivering. Hopefully I wouldn't freeze to death out here... Maybe I could borrow the captain's jacket and bring it to this world. Heh, like that would happen. Things like that didn't transfer over. I paused. Though, if I wore it, it would, then I could use it as a blanket here, but then the captain wouldn't have his jacket anymore... I sighed, then snuggled closer to the earth to warm myself as I fell asleep.

I woke in the cloth pile. I sat up, then decided to seek out the captain for advise. He ended up tying a blanket around my shoulders and then sending me back. It ended up coming with me, and I wrapped myself in it. When I fell back asleep, it wasn't with me in what I had designated the Nen world. At least a blanket was better than the captain's jacket, and he was more than willing to loose a blanket to keep me warm and safe.

The captain made sure I got a lot of food and care, and every hour made sure I fell back asleep to move someplace else in my world. It was safer that way, and, even though I said I would be fine with two hours, he quickly shook his head and continued to make sure I was always getting myself somewhere. He said it was unsafe to stay in one place for very long, and that I had to constantly be aware of myself. I knew what he said was wise, but I argued anyway, but ended up following his directions. I made sure to get farther and farther away from the city. I found a good spot in a run down building on the outskirts and found a dark, dank corner to sleep and hide in. Four hours had passed in the Nen world, and I had finally convinced the captain that I didn't have to go back and forth anymore.

"Land!" I yelled happily, pointing as I steered the boat. The man stood behind me, smoking his cigar, a grin plastered on his face. "That's Dole Harbor, right?"

"Yup. And we're a little early," he said. "Why don't I give you some money when we dock the boat and you can go get some new clothes. I can't have you running around in those rags." I turned.

"Oh, no, I couldn't!" He laughed, head raised and chest heaving.

"No, no! It's my treat! You're such a good mate, I might not even need to hire handymen to help me!" I blushed at his compliment. "I might even feel inclined to adopt you, since you're now an orphan." My eyes sparkled. This man? My new father? And living in this world! It was amazing! It was like a dream come true!

I embraced the man. "Oh, thank you!"

"Hey, hey, you're getting my shirt wet!" We shared a laugh, then I got back to steering the boat.

* * *

I was curious if the money was the same in the two worlds. If it wasn't, which I was suspecting, I had no idea what the exchange rate was. Maybe the captain would know. I asked him, and he didn't know, but I found a pack of beer cost around 550 Jenny, so I suspected one dollar was .78 Jenny, or along that line. Wow, if I had money in the other world, I would have a lot here. Though, when I thought about it, I figured they wouldn't exchange it. I mean, it was money from another dimension.

When the boat landed, I helped the captain dock it and rope it in, then he handed me a sack of money and I raced into town, looking for a clothing store.

"Now, don't spend it on a lot of makeup and useless junk, kay?!" I smiled and waved back at him.

I easily found a shop with clothes sitting in the windows. I walked in, looking around for something.

"Hello, young miss! Oh my, you look terrible, poor thing! Can I help you look for anything in particular?" I turned where a lady was standing, trying to smile at me.

"Um, yeah. I'm looking for something that's easy to move in and that'll be flexible, but durable. And also lightweight and something to cover my arms and legs."

"Oh! I have the perfect thing! And, would you like me to do your hair, too? You poor thing, you look like you live on the streets!" The lady started me over to a section.

"Uh, yeah, I guess you can say that... I'm an orphan now, so... Yeah. How much?"

"Oh, you poor thing!" _Yes, you've said that several times,_ I thought, sweat-dropping. "It's on the house, don't worry!" I smiled at her, a sad smile, but sincere and happy all the while. "Oh, this would look great on you! And it's flexible and durable as well!" She held it out and my eyes widened. Unfortunately it showed more skin than I was willing to show.

"No, thank you. Anything that shows less... Skin?" The woman just smiled, then nodded. She looked through the shelf, then pulled out a pile of yellow and beige. I took the outfit, then examined it. "Do you have a dressing room?" The woman nodded, then pointed at a room behind a curtain. I sighed, then walked over, making sure the curtain was firmly pulled closed on either side, then stripped. The outfit fit like a glove.

I walked out and the lady gasped. It was a yellowish-beige top, cropped open around the shoulders slightly, short sleeved, and tight fit, but also stretchy. The pants were flexible and stretchy as well, beige in color, falling to my calves. They had pockets too, which was a big bonus point for me. The beige jacket had a collar and fell halfway down my chest cutting off at my ribcage. The sleeves went to my elbows. I also had a brown belt. The lady handed me a small pile of cloth, which I started wrapping my arms and legs up. Then the lady handed me brown gloves and shoes.

I stared at myself in the mirror. It looked amazing. I had never owned anything like this before. And it was mine. This was going to be mine.

"I'll take it."

"Great! I assume you're keeping it on?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Now come this way, and I'll work on your hair!" I smiled sheepishly, leaving my old clothes in the stall as I headed into the back room after the lady.

She had me sit down at a chair, then she puled out a brush and softly pulled the tangles out of my hair. I barely flinched. Because of my pain tolerance, I felt nothing. Minutes later, she swung me around to look in the mirror. I gasped.

My hair was slightly wavy, and she had left wisps of bangs to frame my face. The top of my hair was pulled back in a ponytail, while the bottom, the rest, hung loosely.

"It looks amazing!"

"Thank you._ You_ look amazing!" I smiled. "Your hair is beautiful." I blushed a little.

"So, how much do I owe you?"

"Oh, well, let's see... How about 19,890 Jenny?" I balked. That was a lot... I looked in the bag of money the captain had handed me, unsure how much was in there. The lady smiled and helped me, and we found there was 20,000 in the bag. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and she made sure to give me the 110 Jenny back. She even gave me a little money lesson, which I was very glad about.

* * *

"Kai-san! Kai-san!" I yelled, hurrying over to where the boat was docked. I saw the captain turn to look at me, then a grin was plastered on his face.

"Hey! Basil! You look great!" I grinned back, then paused and glanced around him at the others on the boat.

"Who're these fine young men?" I asked, hands on hips. The captain turned, copying my pose.

"Hm... I decided to give you a little break to rest from helping me with the boat and decided on hiring them to help instead. Think they're good enough?" My eyes squinted, and the men looked at each other worriedly before the captain started to laugh. I grinned up at him. "Ah, they're some old friends. They've worked with me before. Guys, this is my adopted daughter, Basil. Try not to give her a hard time." He paused, then turned to me. "Would you like to do the honors?" I looked at him in slight confusion, then grinned.

"Sure. MEN!" The helpers flinched at my loud voice. "TIME TO GET TO WORK, YOU LAZY CRAB BISCUTS!" The men immediately hustled around, and the captain and I shared a laugh. "Oh, yes," I handed him the almost empty money bag. "So sorry, I didn't mean to spend so much."

"It's fine. The outfit looks great on you. Just don't damage it."

"Not planning on it," I replied, saluting him. He just grinned, then got to work helping and ordering his helpers around. I sat by the side of the boat with a sigh, relaxing. I wonder what my body was doing in my world? I closed my eyes. I was just going to check on it before the applicants arrived... Soon, I fell asleep.

* * *

The sound of sirens blared through my ears, and I flinched back, hiding in the corner more. How did they find me? Did they find me? What was going on?! I stayed silent.

"Hey, I'll check this place out. You guys continue on!" It sounded like Officer Roy. I liked Officer Roy. When he wasn't searching for me. Or siding with my parents.

I heard footsteps and cancelled my presence like I had been taught. I still didn't know Nen, so I couldn't hide that way, but I could at least hide this way. No sounds, no breathing, slowed pulse, quiet. Like I wasn't there. No movement, nothing. I kept my eyes out, looking as a light from a flashlight started to stream through the quiet room. I was scared. If they found me, then they would send me back to my parents, and I would die. What would happen to my body in the Nen world if I died? I didn't know.

The light passed around, looking around for any signs of me, then exited. I decided to stay. I had to. If I didn't, then I- I needed to stop thinking. I needed to stay calm. Wait for a bit, then go back to my world. Five minutes? No, ten. I could wait ten. I could sleep for five in the other world.

And so I waited, not making a sound. I didn't hear anyone else, but that didn't mean he wasn't there. I needed to be quiet. I needed to continue to hide.


	5. Chapter 5

**I apologize so much if these story parts aren't exact. I admit I didn't see the first ten or so episodes of Hunter X Hunter, so I'm working off what I have heard, and what I have read from others... I need to watch them... But I apologize! If you have any suggestions or complaints, please tell me! Again, I'm sorry if it's not the same as the show...  
**

* * *

**"Crying is cleansing. There's a reason for tears, happiness or sadness." - Dionne Warwick**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_The sound of sirens blared through my ears, and I flinched back, hiding in the corner more. How did they find me? Did they find me? What was going on?! I stayed silent._

_"Hey, I'll check this place out. You guys continue on!" It sounded like Officer Roy. I liked Officer Roy. When he wasn't searching for me. Or siding with my parents._

_I heard footsteps and cancelled my presence like I had been taught. I still didn't know Nen, so I couldn't hide that way, but I could at least hide this way. No sounds, no breathing, slowed pulse, quiet. Like I wasn't there. No movement, nothing. I kept my eyes out, looking as a light from a flashlight started to stream through the quiet room. I was scared. If they found me, then they would send me back to my parents, and I would die. What would happen to my body in the Nen world if I died? I didn't know._

_The light passed around, looking around for any signs of me, then exited. I decided to stay. I had to. If I didn't, then I- I needed to stop thinking. I needed to stay calm. Wait for a bit, then go back to my world. Five minutes? No, ten. I could wait ten. I could sleep for five in the other world._

_And so I waited, not making a sound. I didn't hear anyone else, but that didn't mean he wasn't there. I needed to be quiet. I needed to continue to hide._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Hey, is she OK?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, she's fine. She's just sleeping."

"But she hasn't moved at all. It's like she's dead."

"She's not dead! She'll wake up at some point! Just don't disturb her! Now get back to work!" I opened my eyes slowly, then turned to glance at the captain who was turned away from me.

"Hey, Kai-san?" The man turned, shifting the pipe in his mouth as he stared at me.

"Oh, you're up. People should be arriving any minute now." I sat up, yawning.

"OK." I decided I wouldn't tell him I almost got caught by the cops, and decided I'd tell him something else. "So, I need to go back to my world in four hours. I'm thinking that I could make a little hideout in the forest or something. To keep me safe, you know?" The man nodded.

"Hey, is this the boat for the hunter exams?" Both the captain and I turned to look at the shore. I had to strain my neck up since I was in a sitting position. An orange haired man stood there.

"Yes it is," the captain replied. The man on shore smiled, then headed onto the boat. He glanced at me, then looked around, then came over and sat next to me. The captain turned, then started stomping towards the cabin. "Hey! You lazy _crab biscuits_! You're making the boat dirtier than it was when you _started_ cleaning!" I grinned when the captain used my term 'crab biscuits'. It was a very nice term, if I did say so myself. I had pride in coming up with it, and my pride soared when the captain used it.

"I'm Crisei," the man, the first applicant, I had met said.

"Basil," I replied, shaking his hand.

"Are you another applicant, or do you work on the boat?"

"Both," I replied. He blinked at me, then sighed and leaned back. I decided to stand and walk over to the edge of the boat, staring at the shore for others who would be joining us on our boat. Crisei joined me. I wondered how many people would be in the hunter exams... And how many people would pass. Though I didn't know if that was common knowledge, so I kept to myself.

Soon, many people had arrived and was on the boat. I wondered how many would be at the next stop. Hopefully not a lot... If I remembered correctly, it was called Whale Island. It would take a bit over a day to get there...

"Alright! We're heading off!" The captain yelled. I stood up straight and ran over to the dock where the rope was.

"I got it, Captain!" I unhooked the rope, then jumped back onto the boat and started to wrap it up, bringing the ramp in and starting to fold it up.

"Wait!" I looked up. Running towards the boat was a boy, blonde, shoulder-length hair flying behind him. His cloak, or whatever it was, fluttered around him. He started down the dock, but the boat was already pulling out.

"Jump!" I yelled, flinging my hand out. The boy reached the end of the dock and jumped towards me. I grasped his hands and pulled, but he was heavy and I started to fall out of the boat. Suddenly, arms wrapped around my waist and tugged me back. The boy and I fell into the boat. I tried to sit up, but his weight was on my body, pinning me down. He started up, slowly. My brown eyes met with his black ones and my face flushed. He was really cute...

"Thank you," he said, sitting up and dusting off. I sat up, then stood as well.

"No problem. Name's Basil."

"Kurapika," the boy replied. He glanced at me once again. "This _is_ the ship for the Hunter Exams, right?"

"No, it isn't," I replied sarcastically. The boy turned to me, scared looking. I sighed. My sarcasm was really bad... "Sarcasm. Sorry. I kind of fail at it..."

"Oh. I thought you were serious. So, you're taking the Hunter Exams too?"

"Yup!" I looked around, kind of sweat-dropping. "Though it looks like I'm the only girl... Wow, you'd think this entire country is sexist or something." I saw Kurapika raise an eyebrow and giggled. "Actually, I don't mind. I'm going to pass these exams and then laugh in all the boy's faces. Oh, I can imagine it now..." I sighed, then flinched as my name rang through the air.

"Basil!" I straightened.

"Yeah?" I yelled back over the crowd of boys and men.

"I need your help!"

"Coming Captain!" I turned back to Kurapika. "See you later." The boy smiled and I took off, shoving through the crowd of men to the cabin. "Yes?"

"Basil," the captain started, "could you be so kind as to teach-" he turned towards two scrawny looking boys who looked like they were kicked puppies- "these _crab biscuits_ how to _properly_ clean up a mess?" I grinned.

"Alright, you _crab biscuits_! Let's get to work!"

* * *

"Hey, Kai-san?"

"Yeah?"

"It's been four hours since I last 'slept.' Could I rest for a bit?"

"Of course!" I smiled my thanks, then bowed and headed down to where hammocks were set out. I saw some were being used, and I smiled to myself, then fell on top of my cloth pile and closed my eyes, falling fast asleep.

I awoke to stillness and silence. It was still dark out in my world. It would be getting dark in the Nen world soon. That meant I was spending more time in my world. It was true, and correct, but I had hoped it would be the other way around.

I shivered, then stood and wrapped the blanket tighter around my body as I started out of the building. Officer Roy had long ago left the premisses. I glanced around at the outside surroundings, then, spotting no threat, left towards the safety of the forests. I quickly made it into the darkened bushes, then ran slower as I lowered my guard. I continued to look into the trees for a good place where I could make a little hideout for myself. Unfortunately, none of the trees were very... How do you put it... Tree-house-able?

I continued to run. I needed to find a place and start to make myself at home before I could even _think_ about going back to the Nen world. I knew I at least had two days here. I could do what I needed in two days.

I finally collapsed. My legs were in pain from all the scratches and brambles along the broken pathway. I rested against the tree and let my mind wander.

It was easier to breath in the Nen world. Maybe because there was less pollution. It also felt easier to move. Was the gravity less? That's what it felt like. But I didn't know. And I couldn't ask anyone because my world didn't exist in theirs, and their world didn't exist in mine. I was the only one who knew about the other. And I was the only one who could compare.

I finally stood, then paused, looking at the large tree I had been laying against. I blinked, then smiled slightly. It was big, and the branches were spread out just enough for me to make a tree house in them. There were bushes all around, and the tree was high enough it could be easily hidden. It seemed next to perfect. And I was happy.

I immediately got to work, a giddy pleasure in my heard. I knew how to build things, thanks to my _parents_, but- I needed to stop thinking about them. Kai-san was my new family. I no longer had any ties to my past life. I would start new. I would make this work, or die trying.

The first thing I started to build was a latter. I found thick, sturdy sticks and laid them in a pile, then grabbed some vines and braided them together, tying them around the sticks. After I made the long ladder, I started up the tree, and, finding a great place for the 'front door', tied the ladder there. I tested it out, and, after finding it safe, went out to search for wood or destroyable trees to start making my 'house.'

* * *

"Gah!" I said out loud. "Nails!" I glared at the wood I had collected, sitting in the tree. I was able to make a flooring with long branches, but it was unstable, and I had no nails. And without nails, I couldn't make walls or a roof either. Sure, I could improvise, but I needed to head back to the Nen world here soon. And this was so annoying...

"Gah!" I said again. "I'll just sleep on it..." I sighed as I laid down and got comfortable, then fell asleep.

I woke up staring into black and brown eyes. I sat up immediately.

"Ah!" The three of our foreheads banged together, and then we fell backwards. I rubbed my head in annoyance, then looked at the two who'd been staring at me. There was the red-head, Crisei, and the blonde, Kurapika. They both were holding their bruised heads. I glared at them.

"Don't you know you shouldn't stare at a girl while she's sleeping?" Crisei shrugged, but Kurapika just looked at me with a hint of confusion and slight concern. "What?" Kurapika shook his head. "What?!"

"It's nothing. Oh, the captain said you were making dinner for everyone." I paled. Actually, my skin was already really pale, so I groaned, then walked over to the door. Figured Kai-san would pull something like that.

"Alright. Thanks." I walked out the door. I hoped the two boys would pass. They both seemed really nice. It would be really sad if they didn't.

I walked down the hallway, then turned towards the cabin. As I entered, the captain stood there, steering the boat, whistling a song.

"You seem cheerful."

"And aren't you a ball of sunshine," he replied with slight sarcasm. "What's up?"

"You told them I'm cooking. For everyone."

"Well, yes... I hope you don't mind?" I sighed, then smiled.

"No. What am I making? Fish?"

"And crab."

"OK. Am I supposed to fish it, or-"

"My men have already taken care of it. Just go downstairs, they should be waiting for you."

"OK. See you later."

"Oh, how is your house going?" I paused at the door, then turned to the man with a sad smile.

"Not as well as I hoped. I have a flooring, but it's not very sturdy. No roof, no walls, but I made a ladder. Probably the best thing there."

"How long do you think until you're finished?" I blinked at him, then sighed.

"It's not a matter of time, it's a matter of supplies. I can't properly put the house together without something to bind it or stick it together."

"Oh. That's understandable. How big is it?"

"Kai-san..."

"Oh, yes, you can get to work. But I want to have a nice chat with you later."

"Alright. See you later." I turned and left out the door, and down to the makeshift kitchen. Fish and crab was everywhere. One crab had managed to attach itself to one of the sailor's noses, and people were scrambling around to try and help the man get it off. I laughed at the sight, then walked over and attempted to help.

* * *

I gasped at the sight of Whale Island. It was adequately named, as the island was shaped like a whale, and it looked absolutely stunning, even from a distance. I wondered how many people would board. I didn't know, but I hoped that there would be another girl who I could chat with. Sure, Kurapika was a cool friend, for the short time we'd been together, and I had to admit he was really cute, though admittedly looked like a girl, but I needed someone more outgoing and fun to be around. Kurapika was quiet; but he was smart, and that would hopefully get him though the Hunter Exams. Hopefully.

I wondered if I would make it though the Hunter Exams. I had to admit, I was worried. I came from another world, there might be something I don't know about besides Nen that I would need to know... Maybe history, or language... Sure, I had the translator in my chest, but that only helped me speak and understand it. For the written symbols, I still couldn't make it out. Kai-san had been teaching me it and Nen as often as he could, and I appreciated it, but I was getting almost nowhere with it. Sure, with Nen, I could now do Ten, but that's it. Sure, it was something, but it didn't feel like much.

When I'd finally released my aura, Ten was already in effect. I was already using it once I started. It was simple, but that was it. Sure it protected my body from other Nen things, but I wanted to get onto the next step, Zetsu. I still couldn't do it. Whenever I tried, it seemed my Nen retaliated. It wouldn't let me hide my Nen. No, it wasn't that I couldn't do it, like Ren, for example, that was difficult for me. I couldn't do Ren, no matter how hard I tried. And then, forget Gyo. Without Ren, it was near impossible. But Zetsu, that was another story. I tried, and I was able to do it. I could feel it. But... What it was supposed to do, it backfired. Kai-san had said he never saw anything like it before, but he said that after I passed the Hunter Exams I could ask a man named Issac Netero. He might know. It might even be because of me being from another dimension or something. There was also Hatsu, the last step... But I wanted to do a little with Ren before I even started to develop a Hatsu. And with my problem with Zetsu... I didn't think that would happen anytime soon.

I sighed happily, ignoring my train of thought. We had finally arrived at the dock on Whale Island. There was already a crowd at the shoreline. I gazed at all the faces, wondering which were spectators and which were actually going to board. I spotted a nice looking lady amongst the crowd. _I hope she is going to be going on the hunter exams... But it doesn't look like it..._ The lady had a short boy who stood next to her. _But he does._ I gazed at the boy. He looked my age, and the big smile on his face told me he would be energetic. I sighed. Though, he was a boy. Sure, there weren't any rules, but still... I wanted a girl friend. Someone who I could chat and laugh with. But it looked like this world was sexist. I couldn't help but sit back and smile. Meant if I passed, I would prove that girls are better than boys. I started to chuckle. And with my experience, I was sure I could beat any boy around my age at any task.

"What's so funny?" I opened my eyes to see Kurapika standing in front of me. I just grinned at him.

"I'm going to pass the Hunter Exams." Kurapika raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you so sure?" I just shrugged.

"People say thinking positive makes you stronger. If I say I'll pass the Hunter Exams, chances are higher that I will."

"That's a myth. It all comes down to knowledge and skill."

"Wow, Kura, you're so depressive."

"What?"

"You're so-"

"No. What did you call me?"

"Kura? Kurapika's too long, so I gave you a nickname." He sighed, and I just smiled.

"Girls," I heard him mumble.

"What's that supposed to mean? You think that just because I'm a girl you're better than me?"

"No." Kurapika looked at me with a somewhat annoyed glance. "I meant girls are difficult to understand." I was about to say something, then bit my tongue back in habit. My father's face popped into my vision, staring at me with hate and anger.

"Are you talking back to me?!" Rang through my ears.

"No." I said.

"No?" I blinked, realizing I had said it aloud.

"Sorry," I turned back to the dock and stared at my reflection in the water. I could not recognize the pale skinned girl who stared back, her brown hair neat and tidy, her clothing new and clean, any signs of abuse hidden under cloth and wraps. She blinked her dull brown eyes at me. You_ shouldn't be crying,_ I thought to myself. I felt a body shift next to me and settle against the railing.

"Crying isn't a weakness."

"I know," I replied. "I've just cried so much, I don't know if I have any tears left." I turned to smile sadly at Kurapika. He looked away, into the distance.

"Me too, Basil, me too."


	6. Chapter 6

**"In my deepest parts of sadness, I'm always making a joke or being sarcastic." - Lea Thompson**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Wow, Kura, you're so depressive."_

_"What?"_

_"You're so-"_

_"No. What did you call me?"_

_"Kura? Kurapika's too long, so I gave you a nickname." He sighed, and I just smiled._

_"Girls," I heard him mumble._

_"What's that supposed to mean? You think that just because I'm a girl you're better than me?"_

_"No." Kurapika looked at me with a somewhat annoyed glance. "I meant girls are difficult to understand." I was about to say something, then bit my tongue back in habit. My father's face popped into my vision, staring at me with hate and anger._

_"Are you talking back to me?!" Rang through my ears._

_"No." I said._

_"No?" I blinked, realizing I had said it aloud._

_"Sorry," I turned back to the dock and stared at my reflection in the water. I could not recognize the pale skinned girl who stared back, her brown hair neat and tidy, her clothing new and clean, any signs of abuse hidden under cloth and wraps. She blinked her dull brown eyes at me. You _shouldn't be crying,_ I thought to myself. I felt a body shift next to me and settle against the railing._

_"Crying isn't a weakness."_

_"I know," I replied. "I've just cried so much, I don't know if I have any tears left." I turned to smile sadly at Kurapika. He looked away, into the distance._

_"Me too, Basil, me too."_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

It was loud. The green thing in front of me was LOUD. Not loud as in annoyingly loud, but loud as in innocently loud. The boy reminded me of a child, heck, he was a child. He just... There was no words to describe him. He perplexed me. Even more so than the last name unknown Kurapika, who made me so curious about himself beyond any words I could muster. I had no idea what to think of them.

And then there was Crisei, who had gotten bullied by an older man with large muscles, and had to say a quick goodbye to me before he left. He was scared so much... I could understand. If it was me getting my balls threatened I don't think I would be able to stay. However, I was a girl, and the only thing that could be threatened would be my femininity, and, let's just say, threatening that will get you a slap across the face. I was proud to be basically the only girl on the boat, and the only one besides the captain to know Nen. I was also knowledgeable in the ways of a boat, and was most likely the only one on the boat who could cook and clean. Well, decently at least. However, I wasn't one to brag, so I tried to stay away from those things. But there was no need. The captain decided it was his business to brag for me, and by the time everyone was on board, everyone had heard the name Basil at least five times. Everyone knew who I was. I really didn't like the attention.

"Hi, Basil, I'm Gon!" I blinked at the loud green thing, then shook his hand. "I'm twelve!"

"Well, you already know my name, and I'm 13 1/2."

"Cool! You and me are basically the same age!"

"Yeah. Basically." I almost wanted to face-palm, but I didn't want to be rude.

"You OK? You look sad." I glanced at him.

"What? No. I'm just tired. I haven't gotten any sleep for, what, a week? I don't know. Keeping track of time is of no value to me anymore." I paused. I just totally let that slip out... Is this what kind of an effect innocent people have on me? Dang it!

"A week?! You need to sleep!" Someone cleared their throat next to me. I flinched, then looked to my right where Kurapika stood, crossed arms. Shit.

"Then what do you call what you did on our way here?"

"Um..." I didn't know what to answer. Literally, I was just exhausted. I wasn't tired at all. However, I didn't know if staying awake in one area for a long time would get me tired or not. I had been constantly sleeping, yet never sleeping. Why did life hate me so much?! "A coma?"

Kurapika's eyes widened slightly, then he glared at me. "Don't even _joke_ about that." I scratched the back of my head.

"Sorry."

"Wait, Basil, have you been sleeping or not?" I paused, looking into Gon's large, curious eyes, then sighed.

"Yes." I lied. Well, it wasn't a lie. But it wasn't the truth either. But... It was the truth. Gah, this was just too confusing!

"So you lied to me?"

"No."

"But you just said you have slept."

"I haven't."

"But you just said-"

"Girls. Make up your mind already." I glared at Kurapika. Then I suddenly realized Gon and Kurapika hadn't met yet.

"Oh! Gon, this is my friend Kurapika. Kura, meet Gon." I forced the two to face each other, and they shook hands. As they stared at each other and started a conversation, I slipped away quickly to the cabin where I hoped the captain would be. He wasn't, someone else was steering the boat. I sighed, looking around. He must be in the alcohol again...

I grumbled to myself as I started down the hallway towards the storage room with all the boxes of food, supplies, and alcohol. Dang, that man. I just hoped I wouldn't have to admit to my inter-dimensional travel to them... Though they could be great friends, and Kurapika was quite an awesome person... It's decided. I'll tell him the truth, but only when we're alone, when I have the chance. I started walking forward faster, but suddenly, time seemed to slow and I lost all feeling in my body as I fell forward, crumpling on the ground. My mind went blank, and all I saw was black.

* * *

"Ow! Gosh damn it! That fu- OW!" I held my throbbing head in pain, holding a bit of now bloodied cloth to it. I sat, crumpled up in a fetal position, scraped up from the fall from the trees. I had fallen, and I had woken up. I was now back in my world. I was jerked awake because the wood I had been sleeping on wasn't properly put together, and I had fallen off. Now I understood what Kai-san meant when he said it would be dangerous... I really did need a friend who could help me. But I couldn't go back. I couldn't go back to the ship in this state. I was sure people would freak if a girl suddenly woke up and became a bloodied mess. That's what Kai-san said. My injuries from this world only showed up in the other once I woke up. And I was sure it was the same vise-versa. Darn it, and I had _nothing_ here.

At least there was water. When I had been exploring I had found a small river. I could get water and bathe there.

I slowly lifted my pained body and started to limp on my way in the direction of the river. It was tough, but I knew where it was. I had marked the trees to make sure I wouldn't get lost.

I soon found the river and stripped, then wadded in the water that reached to my butt. I sat down, flinching as the freezing cold water rubbed against the wounds. Though I didn't mind, I was used to it. I couldn't complain. Literally, if I tried to complain, my body wouldn't let me.

I laid my head back, letting it cool my throbbing head. My eyes slowly closed, then suddenly flung open. I needed to make sure I didn't fall asleep naked. That would be bad.

I sat up, fingering the little devise on my chest. Thankfully, it was water proof. It looked weird, but it was easily hidden right between my breasts. I sighed. I felt like a robot, though. A humanoid robot.

I finally stood and went to the shore, shaking off. I hadn't had a real shower in quite a while. My hair felt clingy...

I quickly got dressed, first wrapping my body up with the wrappings, then pulled on my shirt, socks, gloves, and pants. I slung my jacket over my shoulder as I tied my shoes on, then walked back to the fort. I stared up at the wooden logs for flooring. I needed to find some way for them to stick together... I could use the vines. That would work, until I found something better. Unfortunately, long vines were hard to come by, and it would take me a while until I would be able to actually have a complete floor... I needed to get back to the Nen world, though. I had fallen in the middle of the hallway, and I had no idea what was happening to me right now. I curled up safely at the bottom of the tree and closed my eyes.

And I sat.

And waited.

And let my mind wander.

But I didn't fall asleep. Or better, wake up.

I couldn't go to the Nen world.

What was going on?

I opened my eyes, biting my lip in panic. I stood, then decided maybe I wasn't tired enough. I'd leave soon. So instead I occupied myself with collecting vines and starting to tie logs and branches together.

Before I knew it, an hour had passed, and I had a section of flooring all tied together. The rest was supported, but it wasn't tied. And there was still no roof or walls. I was worried.

I was tempted to sleep on my new and improved flooring, but was very hesitant and decided against it, quickly scaling down the ladder and lying against the tree. I closed my eyes again.

Please, oh, please, fall asleep... I want to see Kai-san. And Gon. And Kurapika. Please, it can't just be a dream. It's impossible at this point to be a dream. Oh, please...

Lost in thought, listening to the sounds of squirrels and birds, I did indeed fall asleep.

* * *

"She's awake!"

"Basil!"

"Hey, Basil, you OK?" I opened my eyes to a bright light.

"Gah, put that bright light away..." The light disappeared, and I started to sit up. I felt a little stiff, but other than that I felt fine. A hand supported my back and helped me sit up. I turned to see Kurapika, and smiled at him. "Thanks." I turned over to see Gon and a tall, unknown man standing there.

"Basil, this is Leorio. He's a doctor. He saw you faint in the hallway and helped you to here. What happened? Are you OK?" I just smiled at the boy.

"I'm fine."

"You sure about that?" I looked back at Kurapika, who was tugging at my jacket. There was a blood stain on the edge of the collar. "This wasn't here before." Kurapika looked at me suspiciously. I sighed.

"I'm fine," I repeated. "I just... Fell from a tree and landed in a bloody mess." I could feel the confusion from the three.

"I think she hit her head harder than we thought," Gon said, eyes wide in worry. I rubbed my head in annoyance.

"Sure, whatever. But I'm fine now. Thanks for the worry though, guys. No one's really worried for me before.

"Ah! Basil!" Gon said, flinging himself at me.

"Gon!" I winced as I was pushed to the ground. "Still tender here!" Gon immediately got off, apologizing.

"You sure you're OK?" The man named Leorio asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. Nothing I can't handle."

"You sure? You were out for thirty minutes." Kurapika stated. I shrugged. "This'll be dangerous for you during the Hunter Exams. You sure you're up for it?"

"Yeah. Heh, that's just what Kai-san said."

"Who?"

"The captain."

"Oh. Wait, isn't he your father...?"

"Adoptive father."

"Then what about your real parents?" I paused.

"They're-" I bit my tongue. I was about to reply how I was taught.

Habit.

A habit of an answer, not anywhere near the truth. Yet, managing to say the truth was out of my reach. I was still terrified. I could still do nothing against them. Even though they were nowhere near me, the impact of the fear they set within me still took hold of my heart, and my father and mother's faces would not leave my mind. I could not speak out about them. I knew I wouldn't.

Habit.

It had become a habit of mine to succumb to my practices, listening to what people told me, trying to do everything perfect. I just wanted to leave everything behind, but I knew that'd never happen. My body would not respond to anything I told it. The fear was still alive, and there was no way it would let me do what I wanted. I had been raised like this, and I couldn't do anything that might get me a beating. I knew I wouldn't, at least, I hoped, but I just... Wasn't able. No matter how hard I tried.

Habit.

I was in the habit of answering. I was a broken record, always saying the same things, trying to avoid the worst. Everything was a pattern. How others acted, how I responded... Knowing fully well what the outcome of my words were going to result in, but not able to go out of my way to say something different. It was all their faults.

"I ran away."

Silence. The three looked at each other in concern, then back at me. Gon opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly the door flung open.

"Hey! The clouds and winds are racing in! There's a storm coming! Basil, that you? We need your help!"

"I knew it," Gon mumbled. I looked at the boy, then at the boat-hand.

"Yeah. Coming." I sat up and sent a smile at my friends, then hurried above deck.

It didn't look stormy. Though the waters were dark and clouds covered the skies, the ocean was calm and there was no rain. It was the calm before the storm.

"Basil! I need you to man the cabin!" I turned, hand on forehead in salute.

"Yes sir!" I raced past the captain and up to the cabin. I needed to make sure the ship stayed on a steady course. An easy enough feat, as long as the storm was not too drastic.

Soon, the waves were thrashing around, and many shouts and screams could be heard from the ship. I winced as I tried my best to help keep the boat as smooth and on course as possible. It was difficult, but at least... At least I had been trained. I knew what to do in this circumstance, and I was ready.

* * *

The storm had finally calmed down. I had been relieved from my duty long ago, and was now hurrying around to help clean up. It was a complete mess because of the storm. According to the captain, it wasn't too big of one, but it still left many people, guests and ship-hands alike, with bruises or throbbing headaches. Many people had taken boats and left, deciding not to take the Hunter Exams after all. The storm had scared them away.

Pussies.

I sighed, mopping up another mess of some form. Whatever I was cleaning up, I really didn't want to know. It would take me forever to clean up the entire boat, even with the other ship hand's help, and I had no time to worry what it was. I just had to hurry, and make sure to do it proficiently. And then there was the fact of the captain saying I had to go get my friends and bring them to the cabin here soon. He was going to have a chat with them about the Hunter Exams. He said he would like me to be there, but I didn't have to participate. Whatever that meant. I guessed I'd find out when it happened.

I sighed once again as the hallway I was working on became finished. Spotless. Pristine clean. I smiled, then put the cleaning materials away and headed to the guest room where my friends would be. I opened the door, peeking my head in and looking around.

The room was basically empty. Kurapika was sitting on a hammock reading a book, Gon was just sitting on the floor, and Leorio was leaning against the wall. Gon was the first to notice me, him being near the wall. He smiled at me. "Hi Basil!" This brought the other's attention, and they all looked at me.

"Hi. The captain wants to see us. Come on." The three stood and followed me as I headed to the cabin.

"You doing OK?" Kurapika asked. I nodded.

"I'm fine. Been worse, been better... I'm not sick, I'm not sad or angry, I'm actually feeling very... Average." Kurapika nodded his understanding, but the concern and suspicion never left his eyes. We finally reached the cabin and I knocked and opened the door. The captain was standing there, alone, smiling, arms crossed.

"Hello Basil. Right on time." I smiled back at him, then walked in. The three followed me up. I stood next to the man, staring at him, curious what he was going to say. It seemed the others were curious as well, as they stood around, waiting for him to speak. The captain cleared his throat, then started to speak.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, so I updated the previous chapter because I felt like she did something she shoudn't had so early on. So the story has changed a bit. Sorry 'bout that, but I feel it's for the better. Welp, enjoy this chappie! Sorry it took me so long to get it on here! Oh, there's a poll on my page! I would be grateful if you would vote, or if you have any suggestions, you can PM me.  
**

* * *

**"With any kind of mean girl, or anyone who bullies anyone, there's always a reason for it. There is that sadness in them or insecurity that makes them feel like they need to act out or hurt other people." - Maiara Walsh**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_The room was basically empty. Kurapika was sitting on a hammock reading a book, Gon was just sitting on the floor, and Leorio was leaning against the wall. Gon was the first to notice me, him being near the wall. He smiled at me. "Hi Basil!" This brought the other's attention, and they all looked at me._

_"Hi. The captain wants to see us. Come on." The three stood and followed me as I headed to the cabin._

_"You doing OK?" Kurapika asked. I nodded._

_"I'm fine. Been worse, been better... I'm not sick, I'm not sad or angry, I'm actually feeling very... Average." Kurapika nodded his understanding, but the concern and suspicion never left his eyes. We finally reached the cabin and I knocked and opened the door. The captain was standing there, alone, smiling, arms crossed._

_"Hello Basil. Right on time." I smiled back at him, then walked in. The three followed me up. I stood next to the man, staring at him, curious what he was going to say. It seemed the others were curious as well, as they stood around, waiting for him to speak. The captain cleared his throat, then started to speak._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"First, tell me your names." The captain said, looking at the three boys.

"I'm Gon!" Gon said, smiling and waving his hand in the air.

"I'm Kurapika."

"It's Leorio." I kept my mouth shut. So this was an introductory thing, huh? Probably the beginning of the exams. I'd already told my story to Kai-san, so I didn't need to speak. It seemed I was right, as he continued on, not bothering to ask me any questions of even look my way. I smiled. I was like his little co-pilot!

"Why do you want to become hunters?" Was the captain's next question.

"Hey, if you're not an examiner, you can't boss us around! And what about Basil, doesn't she have to answer?" I sent a slight glare at Leorio, but hid it immediately.

"No, she is my daughter. All these questions I already know her answer. Now just answer the question!" My hand flung to my head as a headache started. _Just answer the question..._ My mother's voice rang through my head.

"Basil, you OK? You don't have to stay if you don't want." I looked up at the concerned face of Kai-san, then smiled.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"If you're ever having any problems, you can tell me. You don't have to hide yourself anymore."

"Nah, I'm fine. Just a slight headache."

"Alright." The captain then turned to the three boys.

"My dad's a hunter!" Gon chirped happily. This spiked my interest, so I listened in. "I left Whale Island because I wanted to discover why my dad desired so much to be a hunter." I smiled. It was so nice that he liked his father so much.

"Hey! Kid, you're not supposed to answer his questions!" The doctor yelled. I suddenly frowned.

"Why can't I tell him why I'm here?" Gon replied.

"Not a team player, huh?" The older man poked Gon's forehead. "I don't wish to reveal why I'm here." I had to agree. I didn't either. I was glad I wasn't forced to share my secret with them. However this was the rules. I opened my mouth to speak when I was cut off by Kurapika.

"I agree with Leorio."

"What? HEY! Aren't you younger than I am? SHOW some respect!"

"It's quite simple to avoid pesky problems by offering a plausible lie." I shut my mouth. I wanted to stop them, I really did. To interrupt their argument and tell them to just listen to Kai-san. But what Kurapika said, it was true. And it was what I had learned to do all my life. It was what I had been doing this entire time, and the only person who knew the truth was Kai-san and...

Two who I hoped were dead somewhere, or in jail.

"Hey! Are you listening to me?" My mind started to blank and my eyes hazed over. Their words fuzzed out, blocked from my ears.

* * *

"Basil? Basil! Basil, wake up! Hey, can you hear me? Basil?"

"BASIL, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING CRAB BISCUIT! GET TO WORK BEFORE THIS SHIP SINKS!" I blinked my eyes, then looked up. I blinked again, the fuming face of the captain coming into view, when I suddenly straightened, gasped, then looked determined as I placed my hand to my head in solute.

"Aye-aye, Captain!" The captain's face softened instantly.

"Wait. Are you OK? Tell me the truth. You fainted in the middle of the conversation. Did something happen? You know..." I shook my head. I wasn't asleep, just... Not there.

"No, I'm fine." I glanced over to see Gon was still in the room. He was staring at me with a look of... What was that, worry? Pity? No... Maybe indecisive concern. "Just spaced out for a bit." The captain nodded, arms crossed.

"Well hurry up!" He said, pointing out the window. I looked to where he was pointing and gasped. It was a waterspout... If we were caught in that we would sink! I quickly hurried out the door. The two followed me as I ran out to the deck.

A new storm was raging. It was a lot worse than the previous. I groaned. More cleaning... I glanced to my right where Kura and the doctor were standing opposite each other. They looked ready to fight. Ship-hands were running around everywhere, trying to fix up and prepare the boat to try and avoid the waterspout. I ran over to help a line of people pull the mast down to get it out of the way, but I was barely any help as the wind easily picked me up and tossed my light-weight body around with other sailors. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a mast swinging towards me and ducked, but one of the other sailors weren't as lucky and was hit, flying over the side of the ship like a doll. I let go of the rope I was holding with one hand, reaching out for him, but he was out of my grasp. A gust of wind slammed against me, pushing me in the opposite direction. The rope which had been keeping me in the boat was easily torn from my single hand. My eyes widened as I, unknowingly by others who were currently looking in the direction of the right side of the ship, was flung into the air and tossed off the left side of the ship.

I hit the water with a loud thud. My arms flailed around everywhere, but the violent, cold waves tossed me up, down, spinning me and sending me farther from the others. My head surfaced for a second and I opened my mouth to call out, but the salt water enveloped my mouth and nose and choked the air from my lungs. I coughed and stuttered as my head spun. My vision faded, then came back, then faded once again. _No... I couldn't... I couldn't let my mind fall unconscious... Was I going to die? Was I going to drown here? Would anyone worry for me? Search for me? Did they even know I was gone?_ I tried to scream once again, but the violent waves thrusted me under the water once again.

I remembered the time my parents tried to drown me. They'd shoved my head under the water in a large bucket. They'd said if I couldn't deal with a cold shower I'd better drown. Of course, they could afford hot water, I just wasn't allowed to use it.

The waves which tossed my now limp body around weren't as cold or heartless as that.

Maybe I was meant to die?

Everything went black as I felt my body slip. It was a familiar sensation... Was this death?

My eyes opened as I jumped up, feeling pain on my side. The sound of silenced nature filled my ears and my hand flung to a warm spot on my side. Blood. And I was back. Back in my world.

My dull brown eyes looked to my right in anger, then flickered back in uncertainty as I faced my father, holding a smoking pistol in his hands.

"Hello, you little shit."

* * *

Gunshots rang through the air. Every time I heard one of the loud bangs from my father's police pistol I flinched, not sure if he was actually going to hit me or not. I continued to run as fast as I could through the forestry, stumbling this way and that as I tripped over roots and vines. My face was scratched slightly from briars and thorns, and my hands were covered in sweat from clenching them so hard. I didn't know where I was going, except away. I was running for my life. My hideout had been found, and now I needed to get out of there.

For some reason I had wished it had been a different police officer which had found me. At least I could talk with him or her and try. But it just had to be my father who found me.

I was going to die.

I had been saved from death in the Nen world, but here...

I didn't know the whole truth about my world crossing. Was it even a different world? Or was I just traveling in time? What I did know was that I travelled there when I fell asleep, and came back here when I fell asleep there or was jolted awake here. So far I wasn't able to go to the Nen world by jolting. I haven't had any sleeping problems yet, so I didn't know whether I got my sleep in the world I wasn't in or if my body no longer needed sleep. There was still many things I didn't know, and still many questions I figured would never be answered.

Another gunshot brought my attention back forward, and I ducked under a bush, calming my breath. I was like a scared little rabbit, running from a wolf, starving for her death.

I liked to think I was the good guy, while my parents were the bad guys. However, now that I thought about it I seemed more like the victim.

I heard footsteps and my breath slowed and quieted. However, my pulse quickened, and I had to fight myself to not run.

Run or hid? Hide or run? Before, neither had been a real option. Endure. That was what I learned. But now I knew there was more choices. Every action had a consequence, but that didn't mean every consequence was bad.

I saw my father enter my field of vision out of the corner of my eye and froze. I could hear his heavy breathing and could feel the anger and tension from his person. Run or hide? Endure. But there was also one other option.

Fight.

The thought had escaped me for a long time. I had once thought it an option. Once. But I had thought that that option no longer existed. Now I knew, that option not only existed, but I could choose it. I could fight.

I looked down at my open hand, then shut it in a fist.

And this time...

I had Nen.

I couldn't use Zetsu to hide myself, and I couldn't do much with Ren, let alone Hatsu. I didn't need In or Gyo. But Ten was enough. I could hurt him real bad with Ten.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, then launched myself out of the bushes at my father with a scream. _This is for you, Kai-san!_


	8. Chapter 8

**PLEASE READ THIS FIRST BIT! OK, I realized something as I was writing this chapter, and it's amazing. I hope you agree, and I wish it showed it in the actual HunterXHunter, but... Here goes. Oh, wait, this is a possible SPOILER ALERT for those who haven't watched the entire thing. Well, anyways, so at the end, the chimera ants reproduce through devouring. By eating other creatures, a Chimera Ant queen can take the characteristics of eaten creatures and put them into their babies. Well, when the queen started eating humans, it even transferred over their souls. Now, I know how sad everyone is that Pokkle died, and now, you probably can see where this is going. Pokkle died, but he was eaten along with the others, right? And this was before she was killed, RIGHT?! So, theory says he's still alive, but in the form of a chimera ant.** **AM I RIGHT PEOPLE?! POKKLE'S STILL ALIVE! I FEEL IT IN MY GUT!**

**...**

**XD**

**...**

**Alright! Here's the next chapter of Sleepless Shadows!**

**Liz - You're welcome! Basil: "Oh, I will!"**

* * *

**"Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself." - Walter Anderson**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_I heard footsteps and my breath slowed and quieted. However, my pulse quickened, and I had to fight myself to not run._

_Run or hide? Hide or run? Before, neither had been a real option. Endure. That was what I learned. But now I knew there was more choices. Every action had a consequence, but that didn't mean every consequence was bad._

_I saw my father enter my field of vision out of the corner of my eye and froze. I could hear his heavy breathing and could feel the anger and tension from his person. Run or hide? Endure. But there was also one other option._

_Fight._

_The thought had escaped me for a long time. I had once thought it an option. Once. But I had thought that that option no longer existed. Now I knew, that option not only existed, but I could choose it. I could fight._

_I looked down at my open hand, then shut it in a fist._

_And this time..._

_I had Nen._

_I couldn't use Zetsu to hide myself, and I couldn't do much with Ren, let alone Hatsu. I didn't need In or Gyo. But Ten was enough. I could hurt him real bad with Ten._

_I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, then launched myself out of the bushes at my father with a scream. _This is for you, Kai-san!

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I saw my father's eyes widen slightly. He turned his body, pointing the gun right at my head. I dodged to the side, aiming for his legs. He easily fell and I kicked the gun from his hand. He pulled out a knife. Predictable. I grabbed his wrist, but he was bigger and stronger than me. He easily grabbed my own wrist and pried it off, then flung me away. I slammed into a tree, but I took no damage. My aura, my Ten, surrounding me protected me from the minor attack.

I saw my father reaching towards the gun with haste, and launched myself at it. A gunshot was something my Ten would not be able to protect me from... I needed to make sure to get that from him.

"You little b***h!" My father screamed. I paused, old habits coming back. The pause let him get to the gun before I. I silently cursed as I tried to dodge out of the way of his knife as he franticly aimed the gun in my direction. My eyes widened as a bullet whizzed past my shoulder. He was a bad shot when his heart was racing. "I'm going to end it. Your life." My father started to laugh. "I'll say it was f***ing self defense. Or that you f***ing killed yourself. I'll clean your sh*tty face up real f***ing good so they don't suspect a f***ing thing." My pulse was racing. It took all my willpower to fight back. But now, I was left defenseless. My willpower was gone. I was exhausted. I was spent, and now, I was probably going to die.

"Goodbye, b***h." My father aimed right at my head. My eyes were wide. I couldn't move. Why couldn't I move? Why couldn't I make my legs move?!

_Kai-san... Kura... Gon... I'm sorry..._ A tear fell down my face.

**_Flashback_**

_"You need to keep your posture straight! If you're bent over too much, your opponent can easily knock you over." I straightened up, letting the captain guide my movements. After a second he stood back, squinting his eyes at me, then smiled, taking a swig of his alcoholic beverage. "That's good. Now, fight me." He got in an offensive stance, and I got ready. This was the first time he'd decided to spar with me. But he was drunk. His moves would be sloppy. I aimed a punch at his head and he easily dodged to the side, then landed his fist in my gut, sending me sprawling onto the floor, holding my stomach in pain. Man, that hurt!_

_"Idiot," Kai-san said, a slight slur to his words. "You relaxed when you saw I was drunk. Give me all you got, don't hold back. Even when your opponent is drunk, they're still your opponent, and a drunk person can still be dangerous, even more so than usual sometimes. Come on, try again!" I sat up, my face contorted in pain. He looked at me with a frown. "What? Can't take a simple punch?"_

_"Of course I can! I've been hit by my parents quite a lot! But that hurt! What are you, Superman?!" The captain chuckled._

_"Oh, that? I just coated my fist in Ten. More than usual. You got to keep your Ten up in fights, all the time. Predict your opponent's moves and shift the Ten so you can accommodate to receive less damage." I just groaned, falling over on my side and rolling back and forth. He continued to chuckle. "Come on, get up."_

_Finally I got up. I was still in pain, and was no longer in a mood to fight. But his words triggered a memory, and now I had a question. "Hey, Kai-san?"_

_"Hm?"_

_"I was wondering... Do you know what a gun is?"_

_"Of course! What do you take me for? An idiot?"_

_"Ah! No!" I replied, waving my hands back and forth. The man just chuckled._

_"I'm just messing with you. Yeah, I know what a gun is. Why?"_

_"Can you block a bullet with Ten?" The captain thought._

_"Just Ten? Probably not. You'd most likely have to develop a Hatsu technique that stops bullets. Why?"_

_"Well, uh, I'm sure my parents might use guns on me, and I wanted to know how to not get hit by bullets..."_

_"Bullets will go right through Ten. To not get hit by a bullet, you'd have to dodge, or get the gun out of their hands before they shoot."_

_"And what if neither are possible?"_

_"Hope they miss. That's the best advise I can give you right now. However, depending on the gun, there's different requirements on how to use them. Like a shotgun has two barrels, and can be shot twice. Then they need to reload. A pistol has a bunch, but unless it's automatic it needs to be reloaded every shot."_

_"Yeah, I get you."_

_"However..." I stayed silent as the captain continued. "There's something different with you that others don't know. Now, I thought it was something bad and quite frankly an annoying nuisance, but with it... There might be one way, though risky..."_

**_Flashback end_**

I saw my father's finger twitch on the trigger. Time seemed to slow. I knew it would take a second, but the bullet would be too quick for me to time it right. I had to rely on luck.

Right as my father pulled the trigger, I activated Zetsu. As the bullet sped towards me, my Zetsu reacted violently and retracted, causing me to fly backwards from the blast of my aura imploding. The bullet, millimeters from my skin, was also thrown away, tossed back at my father who'd flung into a tree. He spat out blood as I stood, walking toward him while panting. That new technique of mine... It took quite a lot out of me. But it was worth it. I was still alive.

I kicked the gun far away from my father and stared at him in the face, glowering above him. He grit his teeth at me, blood dripping from the side of his mouth and the wound in his chest. I tried to be angry at him... I really did. But my gaze softened as I started to feel only pity for him.

"B***h. You're a f***ing freak, a f***ing monster, you know that?" I sighed as I bent down, pulling the knife from his trembling fingers.

"I guess... But you know what, dad... So are you." I turned away, a tear falling down my now trembling face as I ran off. I couldn't take the sight of him.

I tossed the knife down in the ground next to the gun, then continued running. I had to get back to the Nen world, but first... I needed to get out of here. Somewhere safe.

The Nen world... Last time I was there, I was drowning. Even though no more than thirty minutes had passed here, it seemed like much longer. I was worried for myself and the others there. Would I even be able to get back?

I honestly didn't know.

* * *

What was I doing here? I was sitting in an alleyway in a city I had no idea where it was. Markham? Nope. Never heard of it. But hopefully it was far enough away from everyone and everything. I needed to just sleep.

Honestly, I had been running nonstop for hours on end, and I was thoroughly exhausted. It was getting dark, and I was actually getting tired. I guessed if I stayed awake long enough I would start to need sleep.

Well, that's one question answered.

Now, I had a new one.

Could I get back to the Nen world?

I closed my eyes and leaned back on a plastic bag of who knows what and let my mind wander. I curled up and shivered, mind hopeful. Kai-san's face came to mind, as well as Kura and Gon's. Finally, I found myself asleep.

* * *

**I apologize for the short chapter! I will make the next one extra long, I promise! Gah, I need to continue with my other fanfic... Is anyone following both of them? If so, which one's your favorite? Mine's this one. The other one's too fast and follows the storyline too closely, but this one is drawn out and breaks off from the storyline quite a lot. Plus the chapters are longer, and it's taking me longer to get to the next bits in the story. Also this has recaps and a better storyline and character development. I can't believe I started this one soon after the previous. I might just stop doing the other one so I can work on this one more. What do you all think? I'd get back to the other one once I have time and inspiration.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, please vote on the poll on my profile! I need a decent amount of votes before I get to the chapter where they'll meet Killua. Oh, and I've started putting quotes at the beginning of chapters. I think it'll be really cool. You can go back and check out the previous quotes if you're interested. The quotes correspond with what happens in the chapter. ;3**

**Liz - You're welcome! Basil: "Thanks... ^^; Although I was kind of powerless against him... I couldn't even finish the job..."**

**Morgiana chan - Thank you! I'm glad you like it!**

**sirenightsparrow - Don't worry, unless I die I wont quit. ;) I'm glad you like it so much!**

* * *

**"Sadness is a super important thing not to be ashamed about but to include in our lives. One of the bigger problems with sadness or depression is there's so much shame around it. If you have it you're a failure. You are felt as being very unattractive." - Mike Mills**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_What was I doing here? I was sitting in an alleyway in a city I had no idea where it was. Markham? Nope. Never heard of it. But hopefully it was far enough away from everyone and everything. I needed to just sleep._

_Honestly, I had been running nonstop for hours on end, and I was thoroughly exhausted. It was getting dark, and I was actually getting tired. I guessed if I stayed awake long enough I would start to need sleep._

_Well, that's one question answered._

_Now, I had a new one._

_Could I get back to the Nen world?_

_I closed my eyes and leaned back on a plastic bag of who knows what and let my mind wander. I curled up and shivered, mind hopeful. Kai-san's face came to mind, as well as Kura and Gon's. Finally, I found myself asleep._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"BAAASIIIIIIIIIL!"

My eyes snapped open at the sound of Gon's familiar voice calling my new familiar name. I took a deep breath as my chest heaved, then I coughed, sweat pouring down my face as I sat up. I felt Kai-san's large hand on my back in support and looked around to see I was in a small cabin in the boat. My lungs hurt, mostly because of the hours of running I had done in my world, but I could also feel how raw they were probably from all the water I had inhaled from while I was thrown around in the sea. I looked around hazily at the people, their mouths moving but nothing seeming to come out. They were all looking at me worriedly, seeming to move in hazed motions as they continued to talk to me.

I was seemingly out of it until a hand smacked the side of my head, making everything buzz.

"Hey, Basil! Get ahold of yourself!" I turned and looked at Kai-san, then smiled. I wrapped my arms around his large stomach and buried my face in his clothing.

"Ah ished ooh so uch! Ah uss so riied ah udnt et ack an, an-"

"Whoa, slow down Basil!" The captain said, pulling me away. "What?"

"I missed you so much!" I said, coughing slightly.

"You were out for three hours! Or around so, since you must've been unconscious before you were pulled out of the water!"

"Basil, are you OK?" I turned to see Kurapika. The doctor, Leorio, was there as well.

"Yeah, now I am," I replied. "Thank you..." Kurapika shook his head.

"Wasn't me. I didn't even notice until the storm had passed." I looked at the others, who shook their heads as well.

"Sorry Basil. We were all so caught up in the storm we didn't notice until afterwards," Gon said apologetically. "We couldn't find you anywhere. The captain was so worried, but we didn't see you anywhere. We looked and searched, but..." I looked over to Kai-san who was blushing. I was thankful for their concern, but still, if they couldn't find me, how was I here?

"We came to shore because we needed to get on with the exam... And that's when we met a friend of yours who'd found you and saved you." Kai-san said, smiling. I looked at the others, and they turned to look at a shadowed figure I hadn't noticed until now. The person turned away, a blush coming to his cheeks as his hand went to the back of his head in sheepishness and walked forward so I could see him better.

"Yeah, I mean, you were just floating there... And you looked familiar, so I helped you, then realized who you were..." I smiled at the familiar mop of orange hair and tanned skin.

"Crisei! I thought you weren't taking the exam!"

"I wasn't," Crisei replied. "I was just in the area when I found you, then I saw Kurapika and asked him what happened to you, since you were unconscious. They all came to get you and have been here ever since. You OK?" I smiled at him.

"Yeah. My lungs hurt, but other than that I'm fine. I just need some rest." Kai-san nodded, then turned to the others.

"You need to get going or else you'll miss the hunter exams." The three nodded, then started out. Crisei turned to the captain.

"Uh, I know I was disqualified, and I'm not fit for the hunter exams, but-"

"Go ahead. I understand." I looked back and forth between the two, then Crisei walked over to me and bent down, placing his hands behind his back. He was offering me a piggyback? Well, I couldn't refuse. And it would be nice. But then I'd owe him twice, and maybe even more later on. Once I was feeling better I would start walking on my own.

"Thanks." I turned onto his back and he stood easily, shifting my weight around until we were both comfortable.

"I hope I'm not too heavy..."

"Eh, don't worry. You're really light. I don't even notice you're on my back." I nodded as Crisei started to walk off.

"Wait." Crisei and I turned to see Kai-san walking towards us, hand outstretched with a piece of paper. "Hand this to the person who gives you the badges, if you get there." Crisei took the paper and looked at it. I looked over his shoulder and saw it was a note saying he was only there as a help guide for me, not to take the test. I pouted. That meant even if he passed all the stages, he wouldn't get a license.

But also... That meant I now had someone to watch out for me if anything demanding happened in my world. No, I wouldn't rely on him, it was me who was taking the test. He was only there to make sure I had no problems. It was a lot better than asking Kura or Gon. But still, it felt wrong...

"Oh, and Basil, don't take the bus." Kai-san winked at me."

"Alright, let's hurry!" Crisei said, taking off clumsily after the three others, who were arguing. I sighed.

"Hey, what's with all the arguing? I thought you had changed since I last saw you!" I said with slight sarcasm, a smile pulling at my lips as Crisei and I reached them. They all looked at me. Gon smiled.

"So you're still doing the exam?" I nodded.

"Yup. Crisei's helping me along... Just in case... You know..." Gon cocked his head and I opened my mouth to speak, then shut it again. They still didn't know... Know that I was from another dimension. I shook my head, then turned to the more sensible and talk-to-able, Kurapika. "So, Kura, what now?" I could see the angry pulsing nerve on Kurapika's forehead, but smiled nonetheless.

"Gon and I are going towards that tree." Kurapika pointed to the said tree. Crisei and I both looked up at it, then I turned to look at Leorio.

"What about Leo?" I asked.

"I'm going on the bus. That's where everyone else is going, and I don't trust strangers." I frowned, then sighed.

"Well, then you'd better hurry. The bus is leaving." I pointed towards the bus, ready to go. Leorio looked panicked, then ran. I sighed once again. "Though Kai-san said not to get on it, whatever. Crisei, let's go please." Crisei stared after Leorio's fleeting figure, then started off with Gon and Kurapika towards the tree.

The trek was nice. I liked to look around at the nature and nice sights. I had time. Unlike in my world, the nature was pretty one-sided and not that interesting... Unless you were far from cities. However, when you were running for your life for miles upon miles non-stop without any time to look around, you wouldn't take time to look at the nature. I sure didn't. However, now that I had time, I could view it all. It was quite beautiful, actually. I'd never really gotten any time to look and play outside, and, really, it was very relaxing.

By the time we reached the top of a hill it was starting to get late. But the beautiful hues in the sky only furthered the astonishing view of the town below, lights lit up, water sparkling in shades of blue and pink. I gasped, face full of wonder at the sight. To others, it might not be as beautiful as I might describe, but I had been sheltered for so long, and, quite frankly, nature was something few have appreciated. Nature was, itself, a true essence of power and nobility, and I truly admired it as such.

Though, the peace was soon broken as a certain doctor came huffing up to us, ranting about how he decided he'd follow us since we would miss him so much. Plus, it looked like Crisei was on his last leg, literally. His face was sweating and his legs were shaking slightly. He looked ready to collapse.

"Oh, you missed the bus?" I said, grinning. A tick-mark appeared on his head.

"No."

"Liar."

"Cheater." I paused at that, then turned to Crisei.

"Crisei, I can walk on my own." He looked at me, slightly worried.

"You sure?" I nodded.

"Anyways, you're tired." He shook his head.

"Oh, no, it's not you! You're really light! It was just the trek. I can continue carrying you." I bit the side of my lip. He really didn't get it... I hated feeling like a cheater.

"No, it's fine." He sighed, then finally lowered and let me fall from his back slowly. As I touched down on the ground my legs almost crumpled under me, but I grabbed on the closest object to keep my footing. I looked up to see Kurapika reaching a hand down to help me up. I grabbed his outstretched hand, letting go of his tabard. I stood shakily, everyone's worried eyes on me. "I'm fine." I said reassuringly. However that didn't convince them. I sighed, then turned and stumbled forward as I tried to take a couple steps. I finally got my footing, then turned and looked back. "You guys coming?" They looked amongst themselves, then hurried to catch up with me.

As we continued on, we spotted a village. I paused, squinting my eyes. I wasn't that smart with these types of things... But I was sure that village was deserted... When we got there, I looked around nervously. It WAS deserted...

I flinched as people came from the buildings, dressed in robes and fur and masks on their heads. An old lady sat in the center of them. They all held some unknown looking form of instruments... I noticed the last one also had a crow on their shoulder. I saw the lady's mouth moving and leaned in.

"Doki doki doki doki..." I blinked. Was she on something? Leorio started to repeat her and I blinked at him, then scooted away towards Crisei. He was so weird... The lady suddenly stopped, then continued. "Exciting two-choice quiz!" _Like truth or false? Yes or no? This should be simple, right?_ The music started up in a weird beat, then stopped. "You kids are headed for the tree on the hill, correct?" She paused, then continued. "To get to that tree you must pass through this town. To do so I shall administer a single question quiz."

"Oi, oi." Leorio said, but the lady continued.

"You'll have five seconds to answer. Get the wrong answer and you're disqualified."

"So this is a part of the hunter exam." Kurapika said. I nodded. Kai-san had told me about these tests... He said there would be difficulty along the way. I just hoped we all got the right answer...

"Are we doing it as a group or separately?" I asked the lady. She looked at me with a smile.

"Either is fine as long as you all are OK with it." She answered. "The answer will be either one or two. Any other answer will be incorrect." I looked at the others. Leorio and Kurapika started arguing amongst each other about whether it'd be better to be in a group of seperate. Eventually I stepped in with Gon.

"Hey, let's do it as a group," I said. Gon nodded.

"That way if one of us knows the answer we'll all pass." He finished. The two looked at each other, then promptly agreed.

"Oi, oi hurry it up. Or else I'll answer the question first." I turned, seeing a man walk out of the bushes. I frowned. _So we were followed... I thought I sensed something..._ I scanned the man over. He looked over confident, most likely someone who was going to fail miserably.

"Who is he?" Leorio asked.

"He followed us from the port." Gon replied. I blinked my eyes at the boy in surprise. All the way from there?

"What will you do?" I looked back at the old lady. She was smart, cunning. I was sure the quiz, though two choices, was harder than it seemed.

"Come on, let's get on with the question." The orange haired man said. I glared at him. He reminded me of my father... Just... Younger...

"Will you let him answer first?" The lady asked us. I looked at Crisei, who shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't his choice. I looked over at the others.

"Just let him go first, we'll get an idea of what to answer if someone answers first." Leorio said. I nodded my head. It was a good idea.

"Then let us begin. Evil villains have captured your mother and lover. You could only save one. Select one for your mother and two for your lover. Which one will you save?" The lady asked. My mind frizzled.

"WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?! THAT'S NOT EVEN A QUIZ!" I heard Leorio yell. I looked down to the ground, everyone's voices drowning out.

My mother... Or my lover?

What if I were in that situation?

I didn't know.

My mother... She was a terrible woman. She abused me and hurt me. But I was sure that not everyone was like that. Not all mothers were mean. Were they? However... My lover. I did not have a lover. I was alone. I would never find someone that close, who could see past all my scars and bruises and love me even though my life was such a chasm full of monsters. I wasn't normal. Even if there was someone here like me, they wouldn't understand. Being with such... Monsters and not being able to do anything about it for so long... No, I didn't think anyone would understand. They wouldn't understand loosing everything, never having anyone there for you for years, and not being able to tell _anyone_. No, no one knew.

No one could understand it. No one here didn't belong. I was a mistake, and I didn't even belong to this world. I only existed here since, what, how long? Even my time was mixed up. I had no idea how long it'd been. One time in my world, another here. It was all to confusing! I was alone. There was no one else like me.

My thoughts were broken by Crisei tapping my shoulder. "Hm?" I looked up at his tall figure. He looked concerned, but if he knew anything was wrong he said nothing about it.

"We're leaving," He jutted his thumb in the direction the three others were headed. Into a dark, long tunnel I was pretty sure wasn't there before.

"Oh, OK, I'm coming." I started forward, catching up with the others. Crisei trailed after me, eyes on my face. I turned my head and glanced at him, but he just turned his head away from me. I looked over at Gon who looked deep in thought.

"Hey Gon. What's on your mind?"

"I know it's over but, what if it actually happened?" Gon said. I cocked my head at him.

"What?"

"The test. What if we were really in that circumstance? What if we really had to choose between saving two people?" I paused. I saw the others stopped as well, pondering the question silently. I looked back at the ground. Honestly... I didn't know.

"I don't know," I replied, shrugging and shaking my head. "I guess we'll only be able to truly answer if it happens to us." Kurapika nodded, agreeing. Leorio still looked lost in thought.

"OK." Gon looked disappointed, but relieved by the answer. "Let's continue on then."

Original text

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	10. Chapter 10

**So here's the next chapter. I'm really happy with how this story's turning out! 22 reviews already, and I'm only on chapter 10! I really appreciate the support! It keeps me writing!**

**Oh, and I apologize to people who love Leorio. He's not one of my favorite characters out there, but he's a good guy to use to get points across and be hot-headed towards people. I just thought he would be the best guy to use for this chapter to help Basil... Get through things.**

**Can you guess what Nen type Basil will have? ;3**

**Sirenightsparrow - Thank you so much! You are too kind, really.**

* * *

**"Some days are just bad days, that's all. You have to experience sadness to know happiness, and I remind myself that not every day is going to be a good day, that's just the way it is!" - Dita Von Teese**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_No one could understand it. No one here didn't belong. I was a mistake, and I didn't even belong to this world. I only existed here since, what, how long? Even my time was mixed up. I had no idea how long it'd been. One time in my world, another here. It was all to confusing! I was alone. There was no one else like me._

_My thoughts were broken by Crisei tapping my shoulder. "Hm?" I looked up at his tall figure. He looked concerned, but if he knew anything was wrong he said nothing about it._

_"We're leaving," He jutted his thumb in the direction the three others were headed. Into a dark, long tunnel I was pretty sure wasn't there before._

_"Oh, OK, I'm coming." I started forward, catching up with the others. Crisei trailed after me, eyes on my face. I turned my head and glanced at him, but he just turned his head away from me. I looked over at Gon who looked deep in thought._

_"Hey Gon. What's on your mind?"_

_"I know it's over but, what if it actually happened?" Gon said. I cocked my head at him._

_"What?"_

_"The test. What if we were really in that circumstance? What if we really had to choose between saving two people?" I paused. I saw the others stopped as well, pondering the question silently. I looked back at the ground. Honestly... I didn't know._

_"I don't know," I replied, shrugging and shaking my head. "I guess we'll only be able to truly answer if it happens to us." Kurapika nodded, agreeing. Leorio still looked lost in thought._

_"OK." Gon looked disappointed, but relieved by the answer. "Let's continue on then."_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

We had been walking for, what, fifty minutes? Ugh... And it was so dark... Not that I minded. I had great night vision. It was just-

"When are we going to get there? I have to go for a dump! I have to piss too!" Leorio yelled. My fist balled up. Oh, I wanted to hit the loud-mouth so hard...

"Be quite Leorio," I said. "Look at and read the signs." Leorio squinted at me angrily, then stared at a sign. He narrowed his eyes, then leaned forward. He ended up kicking the sign he was trying so hard to read.

"It's so dark I can barely read them!"

"It said 'Danger: Wild, dangerous animals'." Kurapika said, clearly irritated. Leorio mumbled something about 'danger, my butt,' but quieted nonetheless.

"Didn't the lady say it was going to be a two hour trek to the tree?" Crisei said. I shrugged.

"We'll get there when we get there I guess. No use complaining."

"Easy for you to say," Leorio mumbled. I turned to him, eyes widened slightly.

"What?"

"You never complain," Leorio said, slight anger in his voice. "You take everything. You're always accepting everything that happens with an open palm! You never state your own opinion, and when someone asks for something, you do it and more! You make sure everything is perfect!" Everyone had paused. I was staring at the ground.

"So? It's the only way to survive, right? I mean..." I felt Leorio stomp over to me and grab my shirt.

"WHAT? How can you say that?!"

"Leorio-"

"No, Kurapika. That's no way to live! State your own mind for once, damn it!"

"OK," I said absentmindedly.

"OK?! Don't say that like it's routine! Are you-"

_Are you talking back to me?!_

And I broke.

I screamed, kicking Leorio and booking it out of there. I felt them running after me, but, honestly, what could I do?

He was right.

But, I didn't think, no, I knew there was nothing I could do about it. It was hammered into me like a needle bending my mind, warping it to its will. Even though my parents were gone, I still couldn't shake their gazes, the fear of them.

"Basil! Where are you?" I hid in the roots of a tree, face buried in my knees. I heard them coming, searching for me. My heart rate rose, and I was terrified. Even though they were my friends- No, I couldn't trust them. They would never understand.

I felt someone stop in front of me and bend down, plopping on the ground next to me. I didn't move.

"Sorry about Leorio. He just cares for you, wants you to be happy, hm?" It was Gon. "I'm sorry if he said anything to upset you. He was only trying to help." I shifted my head up to look at Gon. He was just sitting there, stupid, dumbfounding, contagious, innocent smile on his face. My lips flickered a smile for a second, then I looked back down at the ground.

"I know. It's just, I can't help it."

"Hm? What do you mean?" Gon asked. I sighed, then looked up at the sky.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Really? We understand you're hurting. There's something wrong with you. Why won't you tell us?" I turned to my left to see Kurapika had entered the little area. He crouched down next to me. When I said nothing, he sighed. "I know how you feel. Not wanting to tell anyone because you are afraid of what they might do." I glanced at him, then a small chuckle came out of my lips.

"It's not that I won't, it's that I can't." I said, looking at him sadly, then turned away.

We sat in silence for a couple seconds when Kurapika finally spoke. "I'm a Kurta." I looked at him in confusion. "I told you and the others this before, but you had spaced out. Something one of us said must've triggered a memory. I don't know what your life was before I met you, but I can tell you're full of confused emotions.

"I used to be normal. I had a family, and we all lived together. Then, someone came and killed them. Killed them all." I saw Kurapika tremble slightly and his fists clench. "I'm the last of my clan. I have no family left. Yet you say you ran from yours." Kurapika seemed to calm down slightly. "I know Leorio can be a little harsh, but he's worried for you. We all are."

"Yeah! 'Cause that's what friends do!" I looked at Gon with surprise. _Friends...?_ I looked over at Kurapika, who nodded.

"Everyone has secrets. You can tell us when you're ready. But we'll always be your friends." I smiled at him, then looked back up at the sky, taking a deep breath.

"Thank you."

"Hey, we should go look for Crisei and Leorio," Gon said nervously. "I hope they're alright..." I nodded, sensing their presences not far with my Nen.

"They're fine," I said. I stood, walking forward slowly, while the two trailed behind me very close.

* * *

"Hey, look, I'm really sorry," Leorio said, scratching the back of his head. I shrugged.

"It's OK. I'm used to it, I-" I was cut off by a look of disapproval on Leorio's face and sighed, then smiled. "Thank you. It's nice to have people who care."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you run-" Leorio was cut off by Gon.

"Oh hey, look! A house!" Everyone looked in the direction Gon was pointing. I smiled my thanks at Gon, whose eyes were full of understanding. I didn't want to tell them. Not yet at least.

I knew what Leorio was about to ask. He was going to ask about my parents, about why I ran away. Well, ran away was a general term. Escaped. That's more like it.

When we reached the door, Leorio placed his hand on the handle and opened the door. What we all saw next stopped us in our tracks.

Before us stood a creature with a woman in its arms. On the ground lied an injured man.

I remembered Kai-san had said there would be creatures like this on our trip through the hunter exams. This one, if I remembered correctly, was called a Kiriko.

"It's a Kiriko, a magical beast that can take human form," Kurapika said. "It's also an extremely intelligent creature." I nodded, remembering the info. These creatures, these... Magical beasts... My world did not have them. My world didn't have Nen either, so it wasn't too surprising. At this point, I was ready to accept anything. I hadn't seen or heard much of the world outside my home until now, so I was expecting anything. Plus, Kai-san _did_ say the exams would be hard...

The Kiriko suddenly ran off, jumping through a window in the house, taking the girl with it. Kurapika and Gon ran after it, while Leorio stayed with the injured man. I took off after Gon and Kurapika immediately, leaving Crisei to help Leorio tend to the man.

I trailed after Gon and Kurapika, but as I saw them jump into the trees, I paused, then continued on the ground. _Ninjas..._ I sighed, eyes watching them.

They were fast, even in the trees. I was not fast, but thankfully my Nen made up for it. However... I didn't have much. I hadn't been training, and time was slowly slipping by.

Time.

I got an idea.

I could train in my world, and get double the experience because of the time shift.

However that would require me telling them about my otherworldlyness... I looked up just in time to see Gon land a hit on the beast. It ended up dropping its hostage. The girl fell, and I paused to catch her. However, Kurapika beat me to it. He glanced at me, then down at the woman.

"I've got her. Go help Gon." I nodded, and was about to go when I felt a presence coming towards us. I stopped and stared in the direction. Its aura didn't seem malicious... Actually, none of the Kirikos seemed malicious. Like they were... Oh. They were testing us.

But wait, that made no sense. Then what about the couple? Unless... They were Kirikos too. I glanced at the woman in Kurapika's arms. Yeah, she was definitely a Kiriko. I looked back at the spot where the other Kiriko was about to appear. Kurapika had senced it too. However, the person to come out of the bushes was Leorio. My eyes blinked for a second, then I narrowed them. They were shape-shifters. Of course this wasn't the real Leorio.

"Leorio, what are you doing here?" Kurapika said. Leorio, no, the Kiriko, opened its mouth to speak, but I interrupted it.

"Kura, that's not Leorio. It's another Kiriko." Both Kurapika and the Kiriko looked surprised for a second, but Kurapika got his composure back almost instantly. The Kiriko changed out of Leorio's skin and launched itself at me, but I dodged.

I couldn't help but have the thought that it reminded me of a bear/dog cross my mind...

I had no time to think of the others as I continued to dodge out of the way of the creature. It continued to attack, I continued to dodge. Finally, it was just starting to get boring...

"Excuse me," I started, dodging once again. "But I really don't want to hurt -dodge- you. I know you're just testing me." The creature's claws stopped millimeters from my face. It looked surprised, then smiled, backing off.

"You could tell?"

"I figured. I didn't sense any animosity from you." The Kiriko looked surprised.

"You could tell just from that?" It asked. I nodded. It smirked once again.

"Though I'm sure you had some help from Nen." I blinked at it.

"You know about Nen?"

"Oh, a great deal of us do. You just have to sense it. I could tell you've been using Ten, so I went a little harder on you than I really should've." It shrugged. "Oh well. The test is over. How about we head back to the house?" I nodded, trailing after the Kiriko at a fast pace since it was walking much faster with its longer legs.

"The test is over." Kurapika told him.

"Test!?" Leorio exclaimed. Crisei looked just as dumbfounded, then shrugged with a smile. I just smiled at them. Were they the only ones who didn't realize? I frowned. Hopefully that didn't mean they didn't pass. Though Crisei _was_ just with us for my sake... I guess the only one I had to worry about was Leorio...

"Hmm, how many years has it been since anyone could tell us apart?" One of the Kiriko said to the other. The other just smiled and they shared a laugh.

"Could you tell them apart?" Leorio asked Kurapika.

"No, not at all..." Kurapika replied. I shrugged. They looked the same to me... I'd have to get to know them before I was able to.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are the navigators. Our family provides support for the hunter exam." One of the Kiriko said.

"I'm their son," said the human looking male.

"And I'm the daughter." Said the other girl.

"The hunter exam changes location every year. It's quite difficult to locate it. So we navigators help by guiding the applicants to the sight. But we don't help every candidate. So we test the applicants to see which ones are worthy to take the hunter exam." The Kirikos said, switching off between each other.

"Kurapika-dono. You successfully used the vaguest of hints to determine that we weren't spouses. The hints were these tattoos that mean a woman is marked single for life." The human female paused as she wiped off the tattoo. I glaned over at Kurapika and smiled a congrats to him. "Kurapika-dono demonstrated that he is very knowledgeable. Therefore he passes." I was so happy that he passed!

"Leorio-dono. You never realized my true identity. However, you dressed my injures faster and more thoroughly than any doctor. Also you kept assuring me that my wife was safe. Your kindness makes you worthy to take the Hunter Exam." I blinked a little at the Kiriko.

"Wait, really?" I said. Leorio punched me in the side of the arm.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" He exclaimed. I just smiled. Kurapika and Gon shared a laugh.

"Gon-dono," the smiling Kirikos said. "Your super human physical ability and powers of observation makes you worthy to take the Hunter Exam." Since Gon was giving out fist bumps to the others, I held out my fist. He grinned big as his collided with mine.

"Good job!" I said. I was so happy my friends had passed!

"Basil-dono." I looked up at who I was pretty sure was the Kiriko I had fought. "You realized pretty quickly that I was indeed not Leorio, and you figured out quickly this was just a test. Your sharp mind and skills show you are worthy of taking the Hunter Exam. You pass." I grinned, then fist-bumped Gon once again. I flinched a little when Leorio ruffled my hair, but accepted it anyway.

"Crisei-dono. We know you are not taking the exams like the others here. However, if you were, your inspiration and distractions would have passed you. You should definitely try again next year." Crisei bowed, then scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Thanks..."

"We will take you to the hunter exam." The Kirikos said as they spread their wings. I stared at them in awe.

"Off we go!" Gon yelled with a grin. I turned to him and grinned, than hopped onto the back of one of the Kirikos.

"Wow, you're light." I blushed.

"Yeah, that's what everyone is saying..."

"Makes it easier to fly. Like a feather!" I smiled at the joke as it took off. I hung on tight.

_Yes. off we go. Now, the real challenges start!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, so I need help getting Basil's Nen abilities solid. Is anyone good at that? I would like help establishing what exactly they do and how they work. Well, as long as you don't mind the slight spoiler... Thanks!**

**Anyways, once they enter the building I should be more on track. And during the trick tower, that's when I started watching HunterXHunter so it should be mostly accurate from then on. But again, any suggestions, complaints, or criticisms are appreciated! I don't like writing something untrue.**

* * *

**"Boredom, anger, sadness, or fear are not 'yours,' not personal. They are conditions of the human mind. They come and go. Nothing that comes and goes is you." - Eckhart Tolle**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"We will take you to the hunter exam." The Kirikos said as they spread their wings. I stared at them in awe._

_"Off we go!" Gon yelled with a grin. I turned to him and grinned, than hopped onto the back of one of the Kirikos._

_"Wow, you're light." I blushed._

_"Yeah, that's what everyone is saying..."_

_"Makes it easier to fly. Like a feather!" I smiled at the joke as it took off. I hung on tight._

Yes. off we go. Now, the real challenges start!

_End R__e-cap_

* * *

I stretched my limbs and cracked a few bones as I stared up at the bleak sky. Wow, what a difference. In the Nen world, the skies were brilliant and clear. Here, in my world, they were bleak and dull. Even the buildings were different. Sure, they might seem the same, but there was just something... Off. Well, of course. The Nen world was a different dimension. Of course it would be off.

I sighed as I started to explore the city called Markham. I felt more of an outsider here than I did in the world that wasn't mine.

I fingered the translation devise on my chest as I silently thanked the nice doctor of Yorknew city, and the seemingly superior, yet quite behind, technology the Nen world seemed to offer. I wondered if they had cell reception? Of course they did. They had cell phones. I wonder if calls were able to go dimensional? Doubted it. Though the numbers were probably the same.

I found a park and sat down on a bench, listening to the noises all around me. It was light out here already. People were travelling around and playing in the grass, laughing and tumbling. Though I did wish it was nighttime. I would probably be able to practice Nen better then.

At least I was able to use Nen here. When Kai-san first started teaching me, the biggest concerns we had was if it'd even work in this world. I had my doubts, but Kai-san was pretty confident it'd work.

I closed my eyes and focused on my Ten. I felt the comforting feeling of it wrapping around me, like a hug. I always had Ten activated, but when I was able to sit, practice, and focus, I let it conceal me.

Honestly it felt nice. Surrounded by warmth, a feeling of security and protection like none other. It was a feeling I was sure no one in my world would ever feel, or even begin to understand. It was like a blanket was surrounding me and covering me, hiding me from everyone and everything.

I loved Ten. But I needed to find a way to work on my other skills. Ten. Zetsu. Ren. Gyo. Hatsu. Ken. Shu. Ryu. Ko. In. En.

I was pretty solid with Ten. I could not do Zetsu... It ended up backfiring and creating an aura energy burst. I was struggling with Ren and needed to practice... But... I looked around at all the people. They seemed to not notice me. I was just another person, sitting on a bench listening to nature. However, using or practicing Ren here would definitely draw some attention... And attention was the last thing I wanted right now, let alone in my world. And without learning Ren, I couldn't even start to practice Gyo. Then there was Hatsu. Kai-san had never given me the chance to figure out what category I belonged to, but at least I knew how to find out. When I learned Ren I'd be able to find out my Hatsu then practice it as well.

But without Ren, I couldn't practice any of the others...

I stood and walked out of the park, making sure to glance at the clock as I walked along the sidewalk, looking for an area I could practice without getting attention.

Five minutes. Only five minutes have passed in the Nen world. I had plenty of time. _The Kiriko said a couple hours, right?_

Finding a thin alleyway, I squeezed myself along, then stumbled out into a much wider stretch of housings. I walked down the street in silence, pondering random things. How was Kai-san? God-forbid, how was my parents? I sighed, then turned into an abandoned looking warehouse that seemed like it was under reconstruction. I hoped over a few logs and under some low beams until I reached a higher floor. I looked around at the empty space, then smiled. _Perfectly alone._

I sat, cross-legged, focusing on my Ten, then willed it to expand. I felt it waver, then go back into Ten. I sighed angrily. This was going to be a long four hours...

* * *

My eyes fluttered open, then I sat up and yawned, stretching.

"Have a nice rest, Basil-dono?" I smiled at the Kiriko I sat on.

"Yes. Thank you." It nodded, but I couldn't help but feel the uneasiness coming from it. "What's wrong?" It looked at me, slightly surprised, then turned away.

"You've been sleeping for the entire trip. Even when Crisei-dono tried to wake you, you wouldn't stir." I glanced back at Crisei, who looked to say in the last worried, but also relieved.

"Sorry about that. I'm a really heavy sleeper." The Kiriko nodded, but it still looked contemplative. Did it know about my training? They did say that they could sense Nen...

"Alright. I'm glad you're well rested. Just don't exhaust yourself too much." It glanced at me with a frown, and I smiled, hanging my head.

"Yes," I said nervously.

"Though it is impossible to be exhausted right after a long sleep, right?" I blinked at it.

"What-"

"Eh, don't worry." It looked away from me again, but this time with a smile. "Whatever you're doing, however you're doing it, don't work yourself too hard. It'll come back to bite you in the butt." I nodded my thanks.

"Thank you for the advice." I said. It nodded back.

"Yeah."

"What's it talking about?" Crisei said, tapping my shoulder. I looked back at him.

"Oh, it's saying I shouldn't exert myself, or I'll be sleeping way too much." I hated to lie, but this was something I couldn't tell him until I was ready.

"Oh, OK." He bought it.

"Excuse me." I looked up at a Kiriko, carrying Gon, who flew lower. "But we're almost there." I smiled.

"Cool! Thanks!" I said. I looked forward, where just in the horizon, I saw a small village starting to show itself. Was this where the hunter exams were to take place?

When the Kirikos landed, one stayed while the rest took off. The one who stayed turned human and started leading us around. I stared at all the huge buildings in awe. Gon started to run around to look at all the stalls, so I followed. I wanted to see if there was anything I'd ever want after I got my hunter license. I mean, I'd have a lot of money then... However, Leorio criticized us for not paying attention and we quickly got back with the others, listening to the Kiriko speak.

I decided to walk next to Crisei and strike up a conversation.

"So... What do you think will be in the exam?" I asked. Crisei shrugged.

"I don't know. There could be a written test, or something really dangerous, fighting, spying, strength or endurance, mentality..." Crisei continued to rant off all sorts of tests the association might throw at us. "Or they could even have some kind of fear test. Honestly, it's anyone's guess." I nodded, then sighed.

"Well, at least you don't have anything to worry about. You're just accompanying me."

"I wonder if that's even aloud... I mean, you're able to walk now, and you're looking much better." I shook a shoulder out.

"I feel much better now too. But almost drowning is not something I want to try again. And with everything that's happening, I really don't want bad luck to suddenly come when I really don't need it." I was referring to being jolted into my real world, but Crisei didn't need to know that yet. I was going to wait. Wait until I felt like I could truly tell him or Gon, or Kurapika... Or even Leorio.

Crisei and my conversation was cut off as the Kiriko stopped walking.

"I believe that this is the building," He said, pointing.

"Ahhh, it's tall! They have a _really_ nice building." Gon said, staring up at the tall building. I looked at the building suspiciously. Something was off... I looked over at Crisei, but he was just staring at the building in awe.

"So this is the exam site." Leorio said. I glanced at him, then over at the examiner. He was away from us a bit, smirking. I looked at the building he was facing. It wasn't the fancy building we were staring at, but a shabby ramen shop next door.

I walked over to the Kiriko, then looked over at the others.

"No. I think this is the exam site." The others looked at me, then at the other building my thumb was pointed at.

"Are you kidding me?" Leorio said. "How can that for thousands of applicants?!"

"Maybe some kind of hunter trick. I mean, this _is_ the hunter exams." I replied.

"Basil's right. They probably have a secret room or something." Kurapika said. Leorio grumbled, but accepted it anyway when the Kiriko confirmed my suspicions. He started walking in and the five of us followed. As we entered we were greeted by a chubby man with a menu.

"Is the back room open?" The Kiriko asked him.

"What will you have?" The Chef asked, smiling.

"The steak combo that opens your eyes to the light. For five."

"For five? How would you like them?"

"Grilled over a low flame, until cooked."

"Got it. Let yourselves into the back room." The chef left, and the examiner led the five of us into the back room. I looked around. It was pretty small... I felt along the side of the wall. This felt like... I wasn't to knowledgeable on these things, but I was pretty sure this was-

"I can't wait for the steak combo!" Gon said excitingly.

"Gon, that was just a password to get us inside." Kurapika replied.

"So we don't get to eat?" Gon asked unhappily.

"No," I said, also quite unhappy. I too was hungry...

Suddenly, the room vibrated, then started to move. I stifted my balance to stay afoot at the sudden movement, then smiled. "I knew it!" I said. Gon looked at me weird.

"Knew what?"

"That this was an elevator!" I replied. He grinned back at me. I then looked around the room and frowned when I saw there were only three chairs. I stood anyway. Crisei was about to stand as well, but Gon's constant pestering and insisting made him take the third chair, which the other two were occupied by Leorio and Kurapika. I closed my eyes, but opened them right back up. I mustn't fall asleep. Elevator rides weren't that long, and even with the time lapses it wouldn't be worth it. Instead I just relaxed and listened to everyone.

Eventually, Leorio and Kurapika were fighting with each other again. And what was it about this time? It was about hunters. It was about hunter's professions, and whether money or honor was more important. Soon, Crisei joined in as well, adding his own opinion about it being about bragging rights. I sighed and turned to Gon, but he was pulled into the conversation as well. And, unfortunately, so was I.

"Eh, I think you're all right!" He said. They sighed, then looked at me. My eyes widened and I flinched at their weird faces, waving my hands in front of my face.

"Er, I agree! I think you're all right too! However..." I paused. "I also think you're all wrong. Kai-san said it wasn't about the money, or the honor, or the bragging rights... He said it was about the responsibility, and helping those in need. To show respect and to care for others weaker than you."

"Basil's right," Leorio said with a smile.

"Yup, she has us beat," Crisei continued.

"Ah, I didn't mean to make you guys mad! I apologize!" The three started to laugh. I looked at them, worried. "What'd I do?" I turned to Gon, who just smiled at me.

"I'm pretty sure you made them happy!" I paused, then smiled. I made them happy. _I_ made _them_ happy. Soon, all of us were laughing.

The laughing stopped as soon as the elevator stopped. Everyone got ready to enter into the area unknown. The area known as the hunter exams.

* * *

**Ugh, this chapter was so annoying! I wrote the end, what, three, four times? Five? Before it finally saved it all? It kept on deleting things. 'No internet connection' it said. Screw that, I had four bars. And when I write something, it never is the same a second time, and it's always worse. Unless I have the original and can make it better. But at least I finally got it finished and uploaded!**


	12. Chapter 12

**So according to the results of the poll, the majority of people want her to end up with Killua. Sure, I'm OK with that. I can make that happen. However, should Kurapika be involved or not? That is the question. I'd appreciate more votes so I can figure out whether to involve him or not. Thanks!**

**Morgiana chan - Thank you! No, I didn't know. That _will_ be interesting, if they meet. However, I don't think they will because she dies so soon, and I'm sure Basil's going to be with Killua and Gon at that point. Thank you for the suggestion on her Nen though. However, I already have a category and abilities for her, I just need to get them 'fixed up' so I don't god-mod her.**

**Liz - You're welcome! Yeah, Basil's pretty smart with noticing things.**

* * *

**"Absolute silence leads to sadness. It is the image of death." - Jean-Jacques Rousseau**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_Eventually, Leorio and Kurapika were fighting with each other again. And what was it about this time? It was about hunters. It was about hunter's professions, and whether money or honor was more important. Soon, Crisei joined in as well, adding his own opinion about it being about bragging rights. I sighed and turned to Gon, but he was pulled into the conversation as well. And, unfortunately, so was I._

_"Eh, I think you're all right!" He said. They sighed, then looked at me. My eyes widened and I flinched at their weird faces, waving my hands in front of my face._

_"Er, I agree! I think you're all right too! However..." I paused. "I also think you're all wrong. Kai-san said it wasn't about the money, or the honor, or the bragging rights... He said it was about the responsibility, and helping those in need. To show respect and to care for others weaker than you."_

_"Basil's right," Leorio said with a smile._

_"Yup, she has us beat," Crisei continued._

_"Ah, I didn't mean to make you guys mad! I apologize!" The three started to laugh. I looked at them, worried. "What'd I do?" I turned to Gon, who just smiled at me._

_"I'm pretty sure you made them happy!" I paused, then smiled. I made them happy. _I_ made _them_ happy. Soon, all of us were laughing._

_The laughing stopped as soon as the elevator stopped. Everyone got ready to enter into the area unknown. The area known as the hunter exams._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Strange atmosphere down here." Leorio said right off the bat. I looked around as well at all the faces.

"Everyone here is a master in their own right." Kurapika replied.

"Ano! ... Wow everyone's all tense." Gon said as well.

"Reminds me of the boat..." Crisei remarked nervously. I nudged him.

"But if you remember, everyone like that were pussies and quitted before it even really started." I reassured him. He only frowned.

"Are you calling me a pussy?" I blinked at him.

"No! No! I was calling everyone who thought they were hot stuff then left were! You at least were able to gauge yourself and knew you weren't strong enough to brag!" Crisei narrowed his eyes at me and I gulped. Suddenly, he grinned, then ruffled my hair.

"Just messing with you, kid." I pouted disapprovingly as I fixed my hair. I turned as someone cleared their throat, then froze. In front of me stood the strangest looking frog-man I'd ever seen. Was he even human? Yes? A magical beast? I was so lost in obscure thoughts I almost missed what he said.

"Hello. Please take a number." He said. I watched as everyone grabbed a white, circular badge he was handing out with black writing, then, after the others had grabbed theirs, I grabbed mine. 406. I stared at it for a second, then turned to the others.

"What'd you guys get?" I asked them. Leorio had gotten 403, Kurapika 404, and Gon 405. I turned to Crisei, but he was nowhere to be seen. I scanned the room, then spotted his familiar mop of orange hair following after the frog-man. Probably because of his... 'Situation.'

"Hello. You must all be new." I turned to look at a cubby male who was walking in our direction. He was smiling and waving.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Gon asked.

"Eh, well, this is my thirty-fifth time taking it... I guess you could say I'm a veteran." He replied sheepishly.

"Thirty-fifth?!" Leorio exclaimed. My mouth was open as well, but I quickly shut it. Kai-san said it was hard. If this guy was still alive after thirty-five times and he was still trying it, he was stronger than he seemed, or the hunter exams weren't as dangerous as they gave credit to. Or both. I calmed my mind and saw he was slightly threatening, however he didn't know Nen.

I finally came to the quick conclusion he was a rookie crusher, and didn't care enough to actually take the hunter exams. But I could be wrong. I'd see what he would do to verify my hypothesis.

"Yeah... Hey, if there's anything you need to know, you know where to find me!" He let out a small chuckle. "Oh! Name's Tonpa."

"Well, Tonpa, is there anyone we should be concerned about?" Kurapika asked. I looked at the man, then focused out in the crowd, only half listening to him. I looked around, calming myself. Two. There were two Nen users here besides examiners. One was just sitting in silence, twirling a pin in his hand. His body and clothes were covered in pins as well.

His power must have something to do with them. Maybe a Conjurer or a Manipulator? Or he could be an Enhancer. But who knew. I just hoped to never come across him. His aura was very malicious and dark. He must be strong, and with me only at a beginners level, I wouldn't last long.

I looked at the other one. He was staring at a man who was walking away from him. Before I even knew what had happened, the man was on his knees, screaming out in pain as his arms turned into flowers.

"Oh look! His arms have magically turned into flowers! No tricks up my sleeves here, folks. Next time you bump into someone you should really apologize~." The joker-dressed man said. My eyes widened. He was definitely a Transmuter. There was no doubt about it. And his aura... The feel of it overwhelmed me. I flinched back and turned away from him without triggering my own aura. I didn't want to get his attention either. I looked back at Tompa, who looked slightly in distress.

"And that's Hisoka. He's a psychopath who the examinees let back. He was disqualified last year for killing an examiner."

"And they let him back?!" Leorio said, mouth wide.

"Well, they only disqualified him last year. They haven't disqualified him this year." I said.

"Yet." Crisei, who had just gotten back, said with a grimace. "He's already started killing people..."

"Yeah..." Tonpa turned back to us, then smiled. "Well, anyways, let's toast to our new friendship, eh?" He reached into his bag, shuffling around for a bit, then pulled out some cans of juice, handing them to me and my friends. I looked at the juice with suspicion, then at him. If I were him, I'd be a fatso and keep the juice for myself. However I wasn't him, so I would give it to my friends if they were thirsty. But we _just_ met him, so why would he give us juice?

My thoughts stayed firm on him being a rookie-crusher.

So before I even attempted to drink it, I looked at the expiration date. Still in tact. And the can was still sealed... I popped open the lid and brought it to my mouth, when Gon had already taken a sip. I opened my mouth to warn him there was something in it, when he spat it out. I blinked at him in surprise.

"Eh, Tonpa, it must be expired..."

"What? Really? No way. How could you tell?" I glared at the guy. He was DEFFINITELY on my hate list. He tried to give me and my friends laxatives. Thank goodness Gon and the others were smart.

"Yeah, I grew up in the forest. I learned all about chemicals and if things were OK to eat." Kurapika and Leorio had already tossed their drinks. Mine stayed firmly in my hands. Crisei, who hadn't had a chance to open his, gave his back to Tonpa.

"Ah. Well, I guess I'll see you later then!" And with that, Tonpa ran off. I glared after him.

"Good thing you noticed that, Gon. I wouldn't have been able to warn you." I looked at them, then smiled. "He put laxatives in them." The others looked at me in surprise.

"You could tell that?" Crisei said, looking down in the can still in my hand. I nodded.

"Ever since my-" My pulse quickened and I bit back my tongue. "Never mind." _Ever since my parents tried to poison me_. Kurapika gave me a look, but I just turned away and looked at the ground. I sighed, then looked back at the drink in my hand. It was an OK drink... It just had laxatives in it... I scoffed as a smile found its way to my lips. Good thing minor things like this didn't have any affect on me anymore. Darn, I was thirsty! I brought the drink to my lips and chugged it immediately. Though I wasonly halfway done with it when Crisei pulled it out of my hands.

"Hey! Didn't you just say it had laxatives in it? Are you trying to poison yourself?!" I looked at the others's worried and disapproving faces, then sighed, taking the can back.

"Unfortunately something this basic won't effect me," I shrugged, turning away and finishing the can. "Plus, I'm thirsty." Though I could've just phased over to my world and gotten a drink from the drinking fountain...

I almost laughed. I thought going back and forth from my world to this one was a hindrance, but actually, it was refreshing. Knowing I had a place I could go to to get supplies or food if I ever needed anything. The only thing was the time that passed here while I was there I had to be sleeping. I looked up at the ceiling.

Should I tell them?

No.

I'll wait.

I couldn't tell them. Not yet.

I flinched and grit my teeth as an obnoxiously loud noise rang throughout the room. I held my chest in pain as a shock went throughout my body, but made sure not to look out of place as to not alarm my friends.

Friends...

A word I never thought I'd be saying.

The pain had come from the translation devise on my chest. It wasn't enough pain to alarm me too much, but I now knew to stay away from loud noises and high frequencies. I really hoped it wouldn't be a problem for me later.

I looked up to see a wall moving down. From it, a man appeared, sitting on the ledge, holding a little device I assumed was either moving the wall, making the noise, or both.

"The Hunter Exam will now begin," the man said as he hopped down from the tall ledge. "I am Satotsu, the Phase One examiner. You must follow me to Phase Two. This is the Exam's First Phase." He said as he walked down the pipeline. Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio started after the forming crowd, walking at a fast pace. Crisei and I followedafter them as the pace chained to a slow jog. But soon, it turned into a full out run. I huffed in annoyance. More running... But I had been able to run for hours on end to get away from my parents, I could do this. And the Ten surrounding my body would help. However...

This was one of the things I dreaded the most. Running. Fighting, tournaments, even a written test. Anything was better than running. I had to stay awake while I ran. I couldn't cross over while I ran. And I would never ask Crisei, or any of the others, to carry me while they ran.

Hopefully this wouldn't last long.

"Hey, you OK?" I looked up at Crisei, who looked worried. I blinked at him as I ran, then smiled.

"Yeah. I'm fine, why?"

"You just seemed lost in thought. You're an interesting person, I was wondering what was on your mind." I shook my head, then looked forward.

"It's nothing."

"Nothing is still something. Space is still matter. The world is always turning. It's never 'nothing'." my mouth twitched into a smile for a second.

"I guess." He was right. "I was just hoping this wasn't going to be long." I looked forward, squinting my eyes to gaze ahead.

"Yeah," Crisei agreed. "I hope so too." Seconds passed in silence.

"Hey, we should move up to the others. I think it's easier to run when there's people around to keep you focused and interested." Crisei nodded. He and I jogged even faster to catch up with the three in front of us.

"Hello!" Crisei said.

"Hi!" Gon replied joyfully. The two started to chat. I sweat-dropped. How could they run and chat like that without getting tired? I sighed.

"So... You feeling better?" I looked over at Kurapika.

"You too?" Kurapika gave me a weird look. I just smiled, hanging my head. "Yeah, I am. I'm definitely feeling better. Why?" Kurapika just shrugged.

"Just wondering." I nodded, turning away from him, but turned back, staring at him for a second, eyes wide. He glanced at me, but i turned away, eyes squinted in suspicion. "What?"

"Nothing." He sighed, clearly annoyed.

_I could have sworn he was blushing..._

* * *

It had been two hours. Or around so, according to my time measurement. I was pretty accurate on these things. It had been silent for a while, which, honestly, I was happy about. I liked the silence.

Plus it kept them from asking questions. It wasn't that I didn't want them to know, no, I did, it was just I was worried about how they'd react, how it would affect my life. I knew there were some things I couldn't say, and I was worried for the future. Worried that if I died in my world, or here, how that would affect me, others.

I didn't want to make my friends sad or worry. I wanted to make them happy. And if I were to die, I'd want to die for them, for something I did, for helping. I'd want to make sure I did something positive, that, unlike what my parents had done to me, use me, that I could use myself to help others. To give my life meaning.

"HEY! Wait up, brat! You should show the Hunter Exam some respect!" Leorio yelled, snapping my attention from my thoughts to who he was speaking to. My dull brown eyes met with brilliant blue ones, staring at me with a burning intensity that made my chest burn. i glared back at the silver-haired boy, but he decided to ignore me and turned back to Leorio.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Why are you using a skateboard? That's cheating!" I stared at the skateboard the boy was using. It was actually quite smart of the boy to use it. I mean, there wasn't any rules against it. Luck must've been on his side when he decided to bring it to the exams.

"Why?" The boy asked, never loosing or gaining speed as he continued to stare blankly at Leorio.

"WHY?! This is an endurance test!" Leorio yelled back.

"No it isn't." Gon and i said. We looked at each other, then passed a smile.

"Huh? Gon, Basil, what are you saying?" Leorio asked, seemingly offended.

"The examiner only told us to follow him." Gon replied. I nodded.

"There's no rules against it."

"Who's side are you on?" Leorio yelled unhappily. He turned to Kurapika and Crisei, who had paused their conversation, but they just shrugged.

When I looked back at the silver-haired boy, he was now skating alongside me and Gon. "Hey, how old are you?" He asked.

"12!" Gon replied.

"13," I said, trying to smile slightly.

"Hm, basically same as me... Guess I'll run too." He shifted his weight, causing the skateboard to twirl up behind him. Gon and I stared at the trick in amazement as he caught it in his arm.

"Whoa! That was so cool!" Gon said. I nodded, amazed as well.

"I'm Killua."

"Gon. And this is Basil." I nodded. Killua just glanced at me, looked back at Gon, then back at me. He finally nodded. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too," I replied, smiling.

"Why are you so pale?" Killua asked. I almost tripped in place.

"Wh-what? Why are _you_ so pale? Why is your hair white?" Killua's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"It's silver."

"Oh, sorry. Why is your hair white?" Killua grit his teeth. I honestly didn't mean to be rude, but it was the best way I could change the subject without making it seem like I was changing the subject. Honestly, I normally gave no thought to my skin color anymore. But the reason I was so pale...

My fists clenched. It was because of my parents.

"Whatever." Killua turned away, letting it go. I could tell he too was agitated.

This was going to be a _very_ long run.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you so much everyone! I now have 30 reviews! I'm so happy! ;-; Please continue, it encourages me to hurry! Oh, and thank you to everyone who took the poll. It looks like the winner is her ending up with Killua! I'm sorry, to everyone who wanted Kurapika to end up with her. I'll make it up to you! I promise!**

* * *

**"I think that humans have a huge capacity to carry pain and sadness. There are things that haunt us our entire lives; we are unable to let them go. The good times seem almost effervescent and dreamlike in comparison with the times that didn't go so well." - Henry Rollins**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Why are you so pale?" Killua asked. I almost tripped in place._

_"Wh-what? Why are _you_ so pale? Why is your hair white?" Killua's eyes narrowed in annoyance._

_"It's silver."_

_"Oh, sorry. Why is your hair white?" Killua grit his teeth. I honestly didn't mean to be rude, but it was the best way I could change the subject without making it seem like I was changing the subject. Honestly, I normally gave no thought to my skin color anymore. But the reason I was so pale..._

_My fists clenched. It was because of my parents._

_"Whatever." Killua turned away, letting it go. I could tell he too was agitated._

_This was going to be a _very_ long run._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

Gon and Killua had been talking for a while. I had put in comments every once and a while, but it seemed like Killua and I had gotten off on the wrong foot. I didn't mean for it to be like that, but I wasn't going to tell him, a random stranger, about my life.

Plus...

WHO EVEN HAS WHITE HAIR?! Er, I mean silver. He has silver hair for goodness sakes! It was totally unnatural! I admit, really cool, but still, very unnatural. I'd never seen anyone with white h-er silver hair before, he must've died it.

"Er, Basil?" I looked over at Gon, who looked nervous. Killua, looking annoyed as usual, wouldn't even face me as he shook with anger.

"Yeah?" It was Killua who responded.

"I did not dye my hair! For your information, it's natural!" I blinked at them.

"I said that outloud?" Gon nodded. If I could get any paler I would've.

"Yeah." Killua still looked very angry. I sighed, then made my way in between the two boys.

"Look, I'm sorry. I've just never seen someone with naturally silver hair-" _except someone old_ "-besides you before. I think it's cool!" I smiled at him, but he just frowned. I sighed, then dropped back a bit.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too." I looked up at the boy, but he didn't meet my gaze. I grinned. Well, it was a start.

* * *

We had been running for quite a while. I was exhausted. I was not used to this, and my legs were ready to give out. My lungs were hurting as well. I'm sure I lasted longer than normal, but still...

"Hey, you OK? You look exhausted." I looked up at Killua, who had spoken.

"Yeah... It's a long run. I wonder how much longer." Killua nodded. I silenced.

I stopped running and just shifted back and forth on my legs as Gon stopped as well. I looked at him, about to question why he'd stopped, when I saw Leorio laying on the ground behind us. Dang... I knew he wouldn't last.

"Leorio, are you OK?" I said. Gon looked at me, worried.

"Come on, Gon, Basil, let's get going," I looked over at Killua, then at Gon.

"But..." Gon started. He was interrupted by Leorio.

"Damn it all, I'm going to become a hunter, whether it kills me!" Leorio suddenly stood and ran, ditching his shirt. I stared after him in shock. I turned back to Gon with a smile, then paused in wonder as he flung his fishing pole at a briefcase Leorio had left behind, catching its handle with the hook and pulling it back to him. I grinned, mouth open, watching in amazement.

"Whoa! That was so cool!" Killua said as the three of us started running. I nodded.

"Yeah! You totally got to let me try that out!" I said. Gon nodded.

"Me too!" Killua said.

"Only if you let me try your skateboard!" Gon replied.

"Hey! Basil didn't have to do anything!" Killua complained unhappily. Gon thought. He then looked at me.

"What can you show me?" He asked. I blinked at him. What could I show him...? I had no weapons or special skills. The only thing I had were... Secrets. Well, I had Nen, but I wasn't allowed to teach them that.

"I could..." I paused. I could bring something from my world. Something cool! Something I knew how to use! "I could give you food you've never taisted before!" Gon's eyes widened and his mouth formed into an 'ooh'.

"What kind of food?" Killua asked. I grinned.

"Chocolate covered cherry jubilee ice cream!" I said. I'd seen a Baskin Robbins in the town in my world advertising it, and it sounded delicious. I was pretty sure that neither Gon or Killua had ever tasted it before. I just had to get some money for it.

Killua's eyes widened. "What?! I want some too!"

"Then you'll have to let me try your skateboard."

"Deal." Killua and I shook on it. I grinned. People loved sweets. And the ice cream just made my relationship with the silver haired boy neutral instead of negative.

I hated being in a negative standpoint of others. It was quite annoying, and, honestly, it made me feel sad. I really didn't like it, and tried my best to fix it whenever it happened. It reminded me of my parents...

Gosh, my parents... I wondered what they were doing right now. Were they still searching for me? I hoped not. It was such a drag.

And thinking of my parents just got me agitated. I needed to calm.

"Hey, look!" I looked forward to where Gon was pointing. In front of us was stairs. They were wide, tall... But hopefully that meant the end! Then all we'd have to do is go to the top of the stairs, then I could rest! And then, on to the second phase!

"Hey, race you to the top!" Killua said.

"You're on!" Gon replied.

"Eh, what about me?" I complained. Killua glanced at me.

"Well... I guess you can race..." A tick mark formed on my head. "If you can keep up. The loser has to buy the winner dinner!" He grinned, but I just smirked.

"You're on," I said.

"Ready..."Killua said.

"Set..." Gon continued.

"Go!" I finished.

* * *

Man, these boys were fast! And plus, the stairs and the fact I was tired _wasn't_ helping. I was panting, but trying not to show the two how tired I was. Plus... I really didn't want to owe them food... I didn't have any money, and I couldn't use money here in my world. Anything I bought in my world I needed money there.

I didn't even know how I was going to afford their ice-cream.

I smiled as I saw Kurapika, Crisei, and Leorio in front of me and the two boys I was racing. We'd finally caught up with them! I was a little unhappy with Crisei leaving me...

"See you at the goal, Kurapika." Gon said as we raced by. I nodded to him and Leorio, waving slightly as well.

"Bye Crisei! You'd better catch up!" I smiled as he stuck his tongue out at me.

"Catch you later, old timer." Killua said, directed to Leorio.

"I'm not old! I'm a teenager, just like you guys!" Leorio complained. This caused the three of us to pause. _What? He's a teenager?!_ I thought.

"Eh!" Gon said, also surprised.

"No way! Are you..." Killua also replied, unbelieving, then motioned to Crisei. Crisei shook his head.

"I'm twenty three." He replied, then turned to Leorio, suddenly striking up a conversation about ages.

Well, I guessed it was possible... People had different genetics. They could be short for their age, or tall for their age. I used to know someone who looked seventeen, but was actually thirteen. She was always sitting in the library whenever I got a chance to go.

Gosh, I missed the library. All the books and the internet... It was where I'd gotten the majority of my outside knowledge. I wondered if there was a library here, in this world. (**AN: OMG, I just realized that was so much like Kurapika. I DID NOT mean to do that. I love it when those things happen, lol!**) I mentally face-palmed myself. Of course there was. There had to be. If there wasn't... I was going to make one. Libraries needed to exist.

"I'm impressed that you guys can keep up with me." Killua said, breaking my librarian thoughts.

"Really?" Gon replied. I turned to the silver-haired boy, eyes wide. It was easier to run here than in my world, plus Ten helped... So I was kind of cheating... But I kept that to myself.

"Or maybe it's just that everyone else is too slow," Killua continued. "Man… The hunter exam is gonna be a breeze. That's no fun." I blinked at the boy, a little annoyed.

"Hey, why do you want to become a hunter?" Gon asked all of a sudden.

"Me? I'm not really interested in becoming a hunter. I heard the exam was really hard, so I thought it'd be fun. But this is disappointing." Killua said with a shrug. A tick-mark appeared on my head.

"What?!" I said to him, quite annoyed. The two boys turned to look at me. "How can you say that?! Being a hunter is a big responsibility, and people are risking their lives to take the exams! And you were thinking it'd be fun?! There are a lot of people who will fail this first phase. You should be grateful it's not harder! You might've just jinxed it right there! I hope you get caught in some quicksand and can't escape!" I turned away from the two, fists clenched. Surprisingly though, Killua started to chuckle. I looked at him, surprised. His eyes opened and he glanced at me. His icy blue-eyed look sent shivers down my spine. I turned back away from him.

"So, how about you two?" I looked back at Killua, who had kept his eyes on me.

"Huh?"

"Why do you want to become a hunter?" His look was challenging. I grit my teeth, but thankfully Gon answered first.

"Well, my dad's a hunter, so I want to become a hunter, like my dad." He said.

"What kind of hunter is he?" Killua asked, finally looking away from me, curious about Gon's answer. I turned to Gon as well. I had no idea his dad was a hunter...

"I don't know." Gon replied.

"That's kind of weird." Killua stated, laughing slightly.

Kai-san had told me about the different hunters. Personally, I had no idea what hunter I wanted to be. I just wanted to be able to travel... And help people. People like me.

"Really?" Gon asked.

"You want to be like you dad, but you don't know anything about him?" Killua continued.

"I was raised by Mito-san, so I've only seen my dad in pictures." Gon said.

"Who's Mito-san?" Killua asked. I just looked back and forth between the two.

"Aunt Mito," Gon clarified. "When he was 12, my dad took the hunter exam. He passed and became a hunter then left the island. I want to find out why he chose to be a hunter over being with me."

"That's good," I said. "So you're following in his footsteps?" Gon nodded, smiling. "Is your Aunt the lady I saw with you back before you got on the boat? Is she really nice?" Gon nodded once again.

"Yeah! Mito-san is great!" I smiled.

"I'd love to meet her!"

"Yeah! After the exams you can totally come to Whale Island to meet her!" Gon finished happily. "So, how about you? Why do you want to become a hunter?" My smile broke. Gon suddenly looked worried, like he'd said something wrong. Killua stared at me with a blank look. I looked down at the ground.

"To repay a debt... In a way," was my reply.

"What de-" Killua was cut off by Gon, who knew it was another touchy spot.

"Hey, look! It's the end!" Killua and I looked up the stairs, seeing the bright light. Almost there!

I turned to Gon, mouthing a quick thank you. He smiled and nodded. The three of us picked up speed, racing as fast as we could to the top. We reached the top seconds after the examiner.

"GOAL!" Gon and Killua yelled. I was way too tired to speak, as I collapsed onto my back, heaving.

"Hey, Basil, you OK?" Gon asked, worried. I just waved my hand at him.

"I'll be fine," I replied, gasping heavily. "So, who won?"

"I win!" Gon said happily.

"What are you talking about? I was faster…" Killua interrupted.

"No I was!" Gon said unhappily. I was sure it was a tie, but honestly, I was too tied to argue. Finally, Gon turned to the examiner after a bit of arguing. "Hey, who was faster?"

"I believe that you three crossed the finish line simultaneously." Satotz replied, glancing at me.

"Oh…" Gon said, slightly disappointed. I just laughed. "Then!" Gon pointed to Killua. "You buy for me, I buy for Basil, and Basil buys for you!" I blinked at the boy. Killua just hit him on the head.

"What? What's the point of that?!" He said. I just laughed.

"Satotz-san, is this where the Second Phase of the exam takes place?" Gon asked the examiner after he recovered.

"No, we still have quite a way to go." Satotz replied.

"Oh..." Gon said once again, disappointed. I just laughed, finally getting my breath back.

"It's so foggy! From my recollection this is a perfect place for a sand-pit!" My comment was aimed for Killua. It hit its mark. Killua's arm went for my head, and my eyes widened in surprise as I dodged out of the way in fear instinctively, his hit landing on my arm instead. It felt like nothing, and after the weird look from Killua, I felt really bad. It was a habit of mine to stick away from things like that... And I hadn't even known what was happening until after I'd dodged it. I was sure Killua was surprised I'd dodged it as well, considering he mouthed 'she dodged it...'. I turned away from him, mind blanking. If I hadn't had my Ten up, I would have most likely gotten hit, and knocked out. Then I would be back in my world. And I had no idea when I'd be back.

And I was exhausted. I needed to sleep. I hoped there'd be a chance.

I glanced back down the stairs to see Crisei deep in a conversation with Kurapika. They looked like good friends now. I was happy for him. For them both.

A sigh escaped my mouth.

I couldn't escape it. I knew... I'd need to tell them. And soon. Or else...

I might not have a chance.

* * *

**Lol, I was almost done with this chapter when I suddenly remembered I'd forgotten all about Crisei! So I had to go back and edit everything... I felt so bad... I'm so glad he won't be in the story for the entire thing... ^^; Welp, now onto the next chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14

**"I've cried, and you'd think I'd be better for it, but the sadness just sleeps, and it stays in my spine the rest of my life." - Conor Oberst**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Satotz-san, is this where the Second Phase of the exam takes place?" Gon asked the examiner after he recovered._

_"No, we still have quite a way to go." Satotz replied._

_"Oh..." Gon said once again, disappointed. I just laughed, finally getting my breath back._

_"It's so foggy! From my recollection this is a perfect place for a sand-pit!" My comment was aimed for Killua. It hit its mark. Killua's arm went for my head, and my eyes widened in surprise as I dodged out of the way in fear instinctively, his hit landing on my arm instead. It felt like nothing, and after the weird look from Killua, I felt really bad. It was a habit of mine to stick away from things like that... And I hadn't even known what was happening until after I'd dodged it. I was sure Killua was surprised I'd dodged it as well, considering he mouthed 'she dodged it...'. I turned away from him, mind blanking. If I hadn't had my Ten up, I would have most likely gotten hit, and knocked out. Then I would be back in my world. And I had no idea when I'd be back._

_And I was exhausted. I needed to sleep. I hoped there'd be a chance._

_I glanced back down the stairs to see Crisei deep in a conversation with Kurapika. They looked like good friends now. I was happy for him. For them both._

_A sigh escaped my mouth._

_I couldn't escape it. I knew... I'd need to tell them. And soon. Or else..._

_I might not have a chance._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"The Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers Swamp. We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exam. This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive creatures and prey upon them. Be very careful. If you let them fool you, you're dead." I nodded. This trek was even more dangerous than the run before.

Before. We had run for four hours, and now we had to run for more. This took enormous stamina. I was exhausted... I didn't think I'd be able to make it. I was sitting, resting. I needed to rest, to eat something.

But I couldn't. I had to continue on. I had to. To become a hunter.

"Wait for me!" I turned as the gates were turning. A man was climbing up, hand reaching. No one moved. I hesitated to help pull him in, to help his cross the finish line. But what stopped me was the knowledge this run was not over. It just got more dangerous. We'd be running again here, and that man would never make it. Pulling him out of the tunnel would just lead him to his death. I turned away, body shaking, then looked over at Gon. I could tell he too was thinking the same thing.

"You OK?" Crisei whispered. I nodded, forcing a smile as I looked up at him.

"Yeah, just tired."

"I can carry you if-"

"No! No, it's OK. I don't want to have to rely on you."

"But-" I shook my head.

"I'll be fine." Crisei opened his mouth once more, but was silenced by Satotz.

"These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit... Hence the name Swindlers Swamp. Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived." I started to walk over to the man, prepared to stick close to him, but stopped as someone yelled out from the back of all the applicants.

"Don't let him fool you!" Everyone turned to the man who appeared from behind the building. He was all bloody, and I cringed away. I couldn't stand the sight. Especially since... His face... He looked...

I backed up, no longer listening to the man. I grabbed onto the nearest arm, hiding behind the person, burying my face in their back.

That man looked like my dad. But how could my dad have gotten into this world? Had he come to kill me? My friends?

My heartbeat raised as I started to panic.

"D-don't fall for it. He's lying to you! He's an impostor! He isn't the examiner, I'm the real examiner." I heard the man say. No. He wasn't the real examiner. He wasn't even supposed to be here! People murmered around, getting doubts. I felt the person I was clinging to twitch, but they didn't move. I was thankful. Hopefully my father hadn't seen me. If he had... Everyone was in danger. I needed to get out of here!

I quickly turned and started to hurry into the forest, but I was grabbed by my wrist. I turned to see Kurapika, face in a frown. He pulled my unwilling body back, hand on my head. "Hey, it's OK." So he was the one I was clinging to. How embarrassing...

"But..."

"Look at this," I instinctively looked up, obeying the command. I saw the man pull out a creature which looked like a dying monkey crossed with... Satotz.

"He looks just like Satotsu-san!" Gon said, amazed.

"It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures that dwells in the Numere Wetlands!" My father, no, the man, said. I straightened. Man-Faced Ape... They can look like people. He looked like my father. The Man-Faced Ape was impersonating my father!

My fists clenched as Leorio spoke. "Man-Faced Ape?"

"Man-Faced Apes love the taste of fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak. That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into these wetlands, where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!" The ape replied. I scoffed, fingering the wraps on my arms nervously. He still had the face of my father... And that disturbed me beyond words.

"You OK?" Kurapika asked. "Not sure what to believe?" I shook my head.

"I know exactly what to believe," I replied in a whisper. "I'm just disturbed by the form in which that ape took." My body shuddered.

"Yeah, it is pretty gruesome..." Kurapika said. I glanced at him in confusion.

"What? No, the other one." Kurapika looked at me, also confused, and opened his mouth, but before he could speak something blurred by really fast. The objects were headed in two directions... Towards Satotz and the ape.

Satotz caught the cards with ease, while the ape was embedded with them, falling down instantly, dead. I quickly turned away.

"I see, I see. That settles it, you're the real one." I looked up to see the creepy clown dude, who was springing the cards from one hand to the other. "Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any Hunter bearing the title we seek would have been able to block that attack." I groaned inwardly, reminding myself I needed to train more. I had gotten pretty far with Ren, but I wasn't quite able to do it as I wanted. But when I had the chance... I'd be able to see what my Hatsu type is.

"I shall take that as a compliment. However, should you attack me again, for any reason, I will report you for turning on an examiner and you will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?" Satotz said to Hisoka.

"Yes," Hisoka replied with a smirk. I scooted ever closer to the examiner, away from Kurapika and the creepy clown. Kurapika looked at me with a raised eyebrow, but I broke the eye contact. However, I still felt eyes on me. I searched through the applicants, when my eyes fell upon a certain white haired- I mentally slapped myself. _Silver_-haired boy. Killua stared at me with his bright blue eyes. I glared back. He just stared harder. Eventually, I just sighed and looked away. Unfortunately, I looked towards the corpse of the ape who looked like my father. Crows had descended upon him and were ripping the flesh from his body. My eyes widened and I turned away, terrified of the sight. I couldn't take it.

And then, I fainted.

* * *

I woke up in my world, in the abandoned building I was last in. The first thing that went through my mind was panic. I was back in my world. _In the middle of the hunter exams._ I was screwed, I was so screwed! I needed to get back, as soon as I could! However, I'd just woken up. Plus, with how stressed out I was, it would take me forever to get to sleep.

The fastest way I could think of exhausting myself was using up my Ren. However that would leave a lot of questions when I woke up. If I woke up. For all I knew, they'd left me.

But they wouldn't do that, right? We're friends.

I shook my head, then sat. Wouldn't hurt to get some practice in...

I was stopped by my stomach grumbling. I sighed in anger, then went over to a steel ladder that was hanging by the side of the building. I needed some food...

I slid down the ladder, landing on the earthy ground with a huff. After looking around, I ran over to the tiny alleyway and squeezed through, heading out to the open. As I exited the alleyway, I looked over towards the park. There was a tall pole with a clock at the top. It was 1:45. It wouldn't get dark here for a while. Hopefully by the time I got back to the Nen world, then back to mine it would be dark, and I could practice Ren more efficiently.

I sat down next to a building, cross-legged, waiting impatiently, stressed out from coming back here. It was so annoying... It wasn't long before someone walked by. It was a lady who looked like she was in her early twenties, and her arms were wrapped around a male who looked quite a bit older than her.

"Excuse me," I asked them. "Do you have any money? I'm really hungry..."

Soon enough a nice old lady who passed by a while later had decided to bring me into a store and get me a nice thick sandwich, which I gulped down. I thanked the lady, who handed me a small wad of cash, then left. I decided to save it for some other time when I really needed the cash, and stashed it in my pocket. I quickly found a nice pile of boxes to sleep in and laid down.

Time seemed to pass by much too slowly. Or quickly. Whatever the correct word was to describe not falling asleep fast enough. It wasn't quiet enough, and I wasn't even sleepy. But I had to! I needed to fall asleep, get back to the hunter exams!

The last thing I heard was sirens blaring past me before I fell asleep.

* * *

When I woke up, I was being carried. I snuggled my face into the soft hair in front of my face, earning a dissatisfied huff.

"Hey, you awake now?"

"Mm-mm."

"Good. I was worried when you fainted."

"Thanks Crisei." I paused. "I can walk now."

"Oh, right." Crisei bent down and let me down. I looked around. Forest, fog, grass, more forest, more fog...

"I hope we're not lost..."

"Me too. But we're still following people, so we should be good..." I groaned. I didn't like this...

I looked next to Crisei and saw Kurapika and Leorio were here too. I sighed, but I was only slightly reassured. I was on edge, and I felt a weird vibe in the air. Like that feeling when someone was watching you, but when you looked around, no one was looking. Or rather, the feeling that someone was stalking you. Yes, although rather than stalking, it was more like one step ahead of you. Waiting.

I paused walking, earning glances from the three boys.

"You OK?" Kurapika asked. I shook my head.

"I have a bad feeling..." Kuapika looked worried as well.

"Yeah, me too." Then it dawned on me. I started to panic.

"Where's Gon and Killua?!" Crisein and Kurapika had to grab my arms, I was so scared. No, not scared for me, but scared for them.

"Don't worry, they're fine. They're just ahead of us." That calmed me down a bit. Maybe that feeling I felt was them, waiting for us at the end? I nodded, then the four of us started walking once again. I turned to Crisei.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

* * *

It was not Gon and Killua who was waiting for us, but rather a certain Nen using clown. I shuddered as he stood in the blood-filled clearing, turned to stare at us. The creepy grin on his face only made it worse.

I couldn't move. His Nen was so intimidating... I was sure the others were even more scared because they didn't know what it was.

"Well? Care to participate in my little game of examiner?" Hisoka said as he started over to us. I made sure not to let my Nen react in any way. He would surely tell, and immediately go for me.

"On the count of three, split up. Crisei and I will go to the right, Basil and Leorio, go to the left." I glanced at Kurapika, a little scared. I hopped everyone would be alright... "3... 2... 1... NOW!" Kurapika shouted. The four of us split.

I raced as fast as I could with Leorio. We ran for a bit, then Leorio stopped. I stopped as well, looking back at him. "Leorio... Are you OK? We need to get going!" He shook his head.

"I can't. I have to go back and face him."

"But you'll get killed!" I almost shouted.

"Keep running, Basil." And with that, he ran back. I stared after him in shock, then grit my teeth. I looked the way we were running, back to the way Hisoka was, then back again.

"Shit, Leorio, he has Nen! You can't defend against that!" I mumbled to myself. Then, I ran after Leorio.

When I arrived at the clearing, Leorio was charging at Hisoka with a wooden stick. _That idiot!_ I raced after him, to stop him, anything to save him. He was a friend, and I would not let him get hurt!

However, I paused as Hisoka's face was hit by a red object, flying towards him. I looked over from where it came, as well as Hisoka._ Gon?!_

"Gon?" Leorio said, surprised as much as I was.

"I...I made it in time..." Gon panted.

"Not bad, little boy. Is that a fishing pole? What a fascinating weapon~. Allow me a closer look." Hisoka said, turning towards him. I looked back and forth, debating whether to help Leorio, Gon, or attack Hisoka. I took a step forward, but paused when Leorio ran at Hisoka. He was unconscious from one punch by the clown.

"I'm beginning to get excited now..." Hisoka said. He glanced at me, and I gulped, taking a step back. Hisoka blinked, seemingly surprised, then smirked. I assumed he used Gyo. He must've seen the translation devise's Nen coursing throughout my body. I took another step back, but was stopped by a card whizzing by my ear.

I could feel the Nen within the card. I could feel how hard they were, how they could easily slice through my body. I was outmatched. With only Ten and barely any practice with Ren, plus my Zetsu (Which I had decided to rename Nami because it was hardly a concealment) which was only supposed to be used as a last resort, I was no match for him.

And I was right. After a long fight between the three of us, I was exhausted, Gon was in a choke-hold, and there were new bruises all over my body because I hand no Nen abilities I could use without risk. Hisoka's foot was on top of me, and Gon was struggling.

And then I activated my Nami.

* * *

(**Random Hisoka POV to show what's going on in Basil's body when she activates her Nami!**)

My eyes widened slightly as the girl below me, who had not used any of her Nen during the fight, activated Zetsu. I had to admit, she was quite a specimen. No, it was not the translation devise I was interested in, with its Nen coursing through her body. It was the way it bonded with her own Nen. It was common for it to happen, but the girl's Nen was... Unique. Something I'd never seen before. Maybe a strange reaction to the translation devise's Nen? It was hard to pick them out.

However, what perplexed me the most was the girl's actions. Even though she had Nen, she didn't use it during the fight. At first, I thought it was because she didn't know how. But as the fight droned on, I decided she was just not using it.

Her using Zetsu disproved my theory of her only knowing Ten.

I was a bit surprised when she activated it. Honestly, why would someone put themselves at such a disadvantage like that?

However, once she activated Zetsu, I knew. Something was wrong. And then it struck me, but it was too late. Though I didn't mind. Honestly, getting hit by the girl's attack wasn't too big a deal. It was exhilarating. Something new. And me, being oh so curious, had activated Gyo.

What I saw sent feelings of pleasure all throughout my body.

First, when she activated Zetsu, it was a success, all except for one thing. Her Nen was gone, but the translation devise's still remained. And therein was where the problem lied. Without her own Nen to bond to, the translation devise pulled her Nen back, causing it to undo her Zetsu. The reaction from pulling it back, though, was where the interesting reaction came to be. The translation device's Nen and her own Nen, had a violent reaction to the result, and it resounded with a pop and an instant loss of control. I had to admit, it was brilliant. I'd not seen anything like it. For someone to develop a Hatsu technique, only using Zetsu, this girl was special. She would be very interesting, and I couldn't wait to see her blossom.

When her Zetsu backfired, it seemed to implode. Her aura burst out, sending a shockwave that pushed me back, flinging me several feet. I let go of the goy, dropping him. He was pushed a bit away too.

I didn't bother letting my Nen react to it. I knew it was a bad idea instantly. I knew if I activated it, to protect me, something bad would happen. However, being the curious man I was, in a once in a lifetime opportunity such as this, activated it, just to see what would happen.

My Nen imploded as well, flinging me back even further. It hurt quite a bit, like someone was digging half of your body from you while you were still alive. I just stood there, in shock, then smiled and laughed.

* * *

(**OK, back to Basil's POV! That shouldn't be happening again anytime soon.**)

"That was quite exciting~." I looked up at Hisoka as I struggled to move. I sat up, then heaved my body forward as I started to cough. When my eyes opened, my hand was covered in my own, warm, red, blood. Hisoka walked over to me, slowly, then leaned down. "You should be careful with that, girl. It'll just get worse." He stood, then smiled. "You passed." He glanced over at Gon. "Both of you. You're friend, too." He went over to pick up Leorio. "You can find your way back, yes?" Gon struggled to move. Hisoka sighed, then started walking off, Leorio slung over his shoulders. I glanced at Gon, who'd finally sat up. We looked at each other in worry, when the leaves rustled and Kurapika, followed by Crisei, walked out of the forestry.

"Gon! Basil! Are you alright?" Kurapika asked. Crisei ran over to me and helped me to my feet. Kurapika helped Gon up.

"We're fine," I replied. I think he was just testing us." Gon nodded.

"Let's go. We need to hurry," Crisei said, offering to carry me. I shook my head and just used his arm for support instead.

* * *

**So I found a song which is perfect for Basil. It works perfectly for her life. If you're interested. I'll have her sing it in the next chapter. ;-; She's such a good singer... Thank you for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sirenightsparrow - Yeah, that's what she did with her father, which stopped the bullet from hitting her. Because of the translation devise, she cannot use Zetsu properly, lol. She should really be careful, and try not to use it if she can help it, fufufufufu~.**

* * *

**"Don't Make Assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life." - Miguel Angel Ruiz**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"That was quite exciting~." I looked up at Hisoka as I struggled to move. I sat up, then heaved my body forward as I started to cough. When my eyes opened, my hand was covered in my own, warm, red, blood. Hisoka walked over to me, slowly, then leaned down. "You should be careful with that, girl. It'll just get worse." He stood, then smiled. "You passed." He glanced over at Gon. "Both of you. Your friend, too." He went over to pick up Leorio. "You can find your way back, yes?" Gon struggled to move. Hisoka sighed, then started walking off, Leorio slung over his shoulders. I glanced at Gon, who'd finally sat up. We looked at each other in worry, when the leaves rustled and Kurapika, followed by Crisei, walked out of the forestry._

_"Gon! Basil! Are you alright?" Kurapika asked. Crisei ran over to me and helped me to my feet. Kurapika helped Gon up._

_"We're fine," I replied. "I think he was just testing us." Gon nodded._

_"Let's go. We need to hurry," Crisei said, offering to carry me. I shook my head and just used his arm for support instead._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Killua!" Gon yelled with a wave.

"Gon!" Came a reply as Killua came hurrying over. "I can't believe you actually got here. I thought you were done for."

"I just tracked Leoiro's cologne!" Gon replied.

"Cologne? That was how? You definitely are weird..." Killua finished. I just grinned. Killua glanced at me. "Oh, you too? When you fainted back at the beginning, I thought it was over for you." I huffed at him. Then he came over closer and reached for my face. I flinched, then his thumb wiped against the right corner of my mouth. I blinked at him, surprised, then he held up his thumb to show me blood. "What happened?" I blushed slightly.

"Nothing. I'm fine now." He didn't look convinced. I sighed. Hopefully I wouldn't have to deal with the coughing fit ever again. However, Hisoka's words continued over and over in my head. 'You should be careful with that, girl. It'll just get worse.' I hoped he wasn't right. Though, he most likely has had a lot more practice with Nen than I had, so it would make sense if he was right... But it was all I had. Maybe practice would help.

I switched my thoughts to Leorio. He was alright, and I was glad for that. Admittedly, I'd gotten attached to my new group of friends, and I didn't want to see any of them get hurt, or fail the exam.

Then, a really terrible thought came to my mind, making me shudder.

What would happen if one of the phases was a fighting phase, and I had to fight one of them?

I shook my head. Dang...

I could only hope it didn't happen.

I looked up towards the front as the examiner started to speak. "Excellent work, everyone. Phase Two of the exam will occur here, in the Biska Forest Park. So I shall take my leave. Best of luck to all of you." And with that, Satotz left in haste.

It wasn't long until the doors opened. I stood on my tiptoes to gaze past all the remaining applicants, but to no avail. I couldn't see anything, I was too short.

And then I felt myself being lifted up onto shoulders. I glanced down only to see Crisei's smiling face. "There you go," he said. "Can you see now?" I nodded with a smile as my gaze switched from him to where everyone else was looking.

In front of everyone was two people, a male and a female. The female sat on the couch. Her legs were crossed and her arms were spread behind her on top of the couch. Her hair was turquoise and her eyes green. She wore a red, thin top like a bra with a mesh top over it, and denim shorts with red almost knee-length high-heels.

The male stood behind the couch with a dorky expression. He was really tall and large, much larger than the lady. He wore a yellow, long-sleeved shirt along with green pants. He also wore no shoes.

"Will all the applicants who passed the First Phase please enter?" The lady said. Everyone started forward. Before Crisei started to walk, he let me down off his shoulders. I smiled my gratitude as I hurried to join Killua and Gon. Crisei went back to Kurapika and Leorio.

"Welcome. I'm Menchi, the Second Phase examiner," the woman said.

"And I'm Buhara, the second examiner," the man finished. Right after he said that, a rumbling sound covered the room.

"W-what was that sound?" One of the people said. I too was looking around.

"You must be hungry," Menchi said as she looked at Buhara. I looked at the large man too in shock. That was his stomach?

"I'm starving," Buhara replied. I grinned to myself. At least I already ate a while ago. Then I smiled wider. Wait a second... My eyes darted around. Than this meant we were...

"There you have it. Phase Two will involve, cooking!" Menchi said excitedly.

"C-cooking?" One of the people stuttered.

"Wait, cooking?! We're here to take the Hunter Exam!" Another yelled. I scoffed.

"This_ is_ the hunter exams," I replied aloud, but only to myself. Unfortunately, he heard me.

"Why you little-"

"She's right," Menchi said, smiling at me. "You're challenge for the Second Phase is to prepare a dish that will satisfy our palate." This would be easy. Cooking was one of my... Better qualities.

"Why do we have to cook?!" Another groaned.

"That's because we are Gourmet Hunters." Menchi replied with a smirk. I nodded. Gourmet hunters were cool. Not one of the ones I wanted to be, but they were still cool.

"Huh?" The one who I'd arugued a bit with started laughing, and many joined in. I glared at the idiots.

"Man, what a letdown."

"They're Gourmet Hunters..."

"What's the problem," I said, earning a bunch of glares. "Yeah, they're Gourmet Hunters. At least that's better than someone who decides to put us in a pit of gladiators to die. Anyways, Gourmet Hunters have a lot of good qualities and hardships. Don't dis something until you've dealt with it too." This earned a glare from several people. I just ignored their rotten looks.

"So, Gourmet Hunters, what are we supposed to make?" The one who I decided I didn't like said, with quite a lot of sarcasm.

"Buhara," Menchi simply said.

"The required ingredient is pork," Buhara replied. I paused. Pork?

"Pork?!"

"As in pig meat?" I smiled, cracking my knuckles. Peace of cake! Pork was a _lot_ easier than some of the foods my parents had forced me to make.

"You're free to use meat from any of the species of Biska Forest pigs. You must use the cooking facilities here to prepare the pork. And you only pass if we both find it delicous," Buhara clarified. This caused me to pause.

"And we will evaluate more than just the taste. Don't underestimate the intricacies of cooking. Got it? When we've both eaten our fill, the exam will end." Menchi finished. Wait, we had to _catch_ and _kill_ the pigs? I groaned. Well, I should've expected it. Cooking was too easy. They needed to add something harder.

However, there must be something special about the pigs. Something that made them hard to catch. Or else they wouldn't have chosen pigs. Just catching them was easier than other things. Maybe they were really fast, or aggressive.

"We get it, we get it. Let's just start," One of the people said.

"Then the exam's Second Phase..." Buhara banged his stomach, making a gong-like sound. "Begins now!"

Everyone started to rush out of the building. "Come on Basil!" I turned to see my group of friends rushing out as well. I managed to push past people and rush over to them, running alongside them.

"So, we hunting as a group?" I asked. They nodded.

"It'll be easier to catch them that way," Gon said. I smiled.

"Sure! This'll be easy!" But as soon as those words left my mouth, I regretted it. Gon and killua had jumped down a hill, sliding on their buts. I jumped after them, and the three older boys after me. As we stopped at the bottom, bumping into one another, we were met with giant pigs with huge noses, chewing on bones.

My heartbeat raced tenfold. Are you kidding me? These aren't pigs!

And as luck would have it, the pigs decided to notice us.

Sh*t.

And then we ran.

As lucky as I could get in an obscure, slightly unexpected circumstance as this, they couldn't climb. So I scaled up a tree, holding tight to the branches while they attempted to get me. Mind stocked full of adrenaline, I couldn't think properly, and as I panicked, I tossed large walnuts from the tree down at them. As one hit one on the forehead and it fainted, I paused. With how big their noses were... It would make sense that their foreheads were their weaknesses. To test my theory, I tossed another walnut down, aiming for their supposed weak spot. It worked, and it fainted.

"Hey, guys! Their weakness is their foreheads!" I yelled, turning towards the others. They looked at me for a second, then tested it out on their pigs. And after I announced that, pigs were dropping like crazy.

"Thanks for the tip!" Crisei yelled sarcastically from his hanging spot on the tree, holding on for his dear life as three pigs chomped their jaws at him from below. I grabbed a walnut, and, closing an eye and biting my tongue as I aimed, tossed the nut at the pigs. I missed. Instead I just angered them and they stampeded towards my tree, which was shaking. I hung on, basically falling off, before a flash of silver passed by, knocking the pigs down.

"Geez, you're a terrible aim," Killua said. I just stuck my tongue out at him as I hopped down from the tree.

"Thanks," I said anyway. The boy just nodded, then hurried over to get his pig and start up towards the area to cook it with Gon.

I stared at my pig in distain. Even with my strength, I'd never be able to carry that, would I? I looked around, and, after seeing not many had problems, reached out and attempted to sling it over my shoulder.

Bad idea.

Next thing I knew I was crushed underneath the pig.

"Need help?" I groaned at the familiar voice.

"No, Crisei, I'll be fine."

"You sure?" Crisei started laughing. If I could see him, he'd probably be _pushing_ on the pig, or _sitting_ on it.

"Stop laughing." This caused his laughter to ensue.

"But Basil, I can't help it. Your face, it's so..."

"You can't see my face."

"Exactly. I'm picturing it..." I could picture Crisei's hands spreading out in a rectangle as he said that. "All squished under there, face implanted in the ground..."

"I get it, I get it. Help please?"

"I thought you said you didn't want any help?" I just groaned as he started to laugh again.

"Whatever. Please get this pig off me?"

"No. Now I don't want to help you." I could feel Crisei walking away. If I wasn't so mentally disciplined I would've thrown a fit at that.

"Really?" I groaned, then attempted to stand.

It took me a lot longer than I expected, but when I finally got up and managed to get my pig to the cooking station, others were already started.

After pulling together a plan of what to make, I started getting everything together and started to prepare it.

As I cooked my meal over the low fire, a song came to my mind. I'd wondered where I heard it... Maybe a store I stumbled past or something... And I couldn't help but sing it, as it described my life pretty well.

"I used to carry the weight of the world  
And now all I wanna do is spread my wings and fly  
I don't know why I was so afraid... all the time  
Memories seemed to bother me.. my whole life  
I used to carry the weight of the world  
And now all I wanna do is spread my wings and fly  
I used to carry the weight of the world  
And now all I wanna do is spread my wings and fly  
I don't know why I was so ashamed  
Such a waste of time  
And I don't know who I was trying to be  
All those lies  
I used to carry the weight of the world  
And now all I wanna do is spread my wings and fly  
I used to carry the weight of the world  
And now all I wanna do is spread my wings and fly  
Oh and there's always something  
Or somebody right behind  
Well we're not meant to be everything  
We're just a piece  
So spread your wings  
Oh I don't know why I was so afraid all the time  
I used to carry the weight of the world  
And now all I wanna do is spread my wings and fly..."

When I finished the song, I was met with silence. My face instantly turned pink and I squinted my eyes as I turned away from nothing.

"Stop staring at me! I know you are, it's embarrassing!" I said.

"But, Basil, you're a really good singer!" I turned, facing Gon. The others were staring at me too. I blushed once again, turning away.

"Nah, it's just average... Not even that good..." I went back to seasoning my pork.

"Who told you that?" Killua.

"My pa-" I cut myself off as my heartbeat suddenly raced. I froze. I couldn't move. I shook my head. "No one."

"Liar." Leorio said. I sighed.

"Whoever it was, they must be deaf," I smiled my thanks at Gon, who smiled back. Killua just gave me a look. Kurapika came over and ruffled my hair.

"Hey!" I yelled. Everyone just laughed. I pouted, but ended up smiling as well.

"Don't go beating yourself for what someone told you. You won't please everyone."I looked up at Kurapika, who had a distant look in his eyes.

"Thanks, Kura-Nii-san."

"No pro-" He paused, face turning into a frown. "What?"

"You're like a big brother. I hope you don't mind." The Kurta ruffled my hair again, a slight blush creeping on his cheeks.

"Nah, it's fine." I smiled. Now we both had new families. After loosing our old ones, we gained bonds for a family not related by blood.

"Thank you," I said. He just smiled.

"Sure, Little Sis." I grinned happily.

* * *

Menchi looked at my food. I couldn't even start to guess what was on her mind. Her eyes were so... Neutral, I guess, that I didn't know whether my first impression was good, or bad. She took her fork and pressed into the tender meat, then sliced it and slowly took a bite. Her eyes widened for a second, then her brows furrowed. She continued to chew it, lost in thought. She said nothing as she took another bite. She was probably debating over whether my food was good or not...

She finally sighed and looked at me with a slight smile. "I want to fail you, but I can't. I can't find _anything_ wrong with it," She said, then paused, seemingly surprised at her own words. "You'd make a great Gourmet Hunter. What were you planning on doing after you passed the exams?" I blinked at her question.

"Oh, um, I don't know. There's so many options... I was thinking of maybe being a hunter that would go around and help people who are in difficult situations, people who have nothing in life, or at least think they do. I want to be able to help people." I smiled at the examiner. She smiled back.

"That's very admirable of you. I think you'll become a great Hunter." She motioned for me to come closer and I took a couple steps forward, leaning in. Menchi put her arm around my shoulder. "Look, you pass. OK? But you're the only one who passed. I don't want to make myself seem like a softy, right?" I shook my head. "They might say I'm just picking favorites. So..." She pushed me away. "I can't pass you," She said out loud. I drew a blank. Wait, but she just said I passed... Then I understood. I passed, but she's making it look to others like I didn't! I nodded, then turned and walked back to my friends.

After a while of chatting with them, Buhara's loud voice echoed around the room. "That was so much food, I'm stuffed!"

"Yeah, I'm stuffed too," replied Menchi. She stood, placing her hands on her hips. "Therefore, no one passes. We're finished here!" Everyone paused at that.

What?!

* * *

**Oh, people, you might say, hey, how does she know how to speak Japanese? And why didn't Kurapika call her Imoto? Well, let me answer that for you. First, she has a translation devise on her chest. It uses the best translation possible for her words. Everything she says is translated for other's ears, so it's a translation for them. Then everything everyone else says is translated for her. So, hopefully this makes sense, when she says Kura-Nii-San, she actually said Brother Kura. However they heard the other one. Then when he said Little Sis, he actually said Imoto, but it was heard as Little Sis. I hope this makes sense.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Sirenightsparrow - You're welcome X3!**

* * *

**"Life just doesn't care about our aspirations, or sadness. It's often random, and it's often stupid and it's often completely unexpected, and the closures and the epiphanies and revelations we end up receiving from life, begrudgingly, rarely turn out to be the ones we thought." - Khaled Hosseini**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_Menchi looked at my food. I couldn't even start to guess what was on her mind. Her eyes were so... Neutral, I guess, that I didn't know whether my first impression was good, or bad. She took her fork and pressed into the tender meat, then sliced it and slowly took a bite. Her eyes widened for a second, then her brows furrowed. She continued to chew it, lost in thought. She said nothing as she took another bite. She was probably debating over whether my food was good or not..._

_She finally sighed and looked at me with a slight smile. "I want to fail you, but I can't. I can't find anything wrong with it," She said, then paused, seemingly surprised at her own words. "You'd make a great Gourmet Hunter. What were you planning on doing after you passed the exams?" I blinked at her question._

_"Oh, um, I don't know. There's so many options... I was thinking of maybe being a hunter that would go around and help people who are in difficult situations, people who have nothing in life, or at least think they do. I want to be able to help people." I smiled at the examiner. She smiled back._

_"That's very admirable of you. I think you'll become a great Hunter." She motioned for me to come closer and I took a couple steps forward, leaning in. Menchi put her arm around my shoulder. "Look, you pass. OK? But you're the only one who passed. I don't want to make myself seem like a softy, right?" I shook my head. "They might say I'm just picking favorites. So..." She pushed me away. "I can't pass you," She said out loud. I drew a blank. Wait, but she just said I passed... Then I understood. I passed, but she's making it look to others like I didn't! I nodded, then turned and walked back to my friends._

_After a while of chatting with them, Buhara's loud voice echoed around the room. "That was so much food, I'm stuffed!"_

_"Yeah, I'm stuffed too," replied Menchi. She stood, placing her hands on her hips. "Therefore, no one passes. We're finished here!" Everyone paused at that._

What?!

_End Re-cap_

* * *

A crash sounded throughout the room, bellowing out like the man who'd just crashed the table was trying to prove something.

"I won't accept it. I absolutely refuse to accept this!" The same man I'd argued with before yelled.

"In the end, you've still failed," Menchi replied calmly.

"Stop screwing around!" The man yelled back. "You asked for pork, so we risked our lives to-"

"I asked for a pork in a manner we both found delicious..." Menchi cut in. "None of you made anything remotely delicious. You all did almost the same thing." Then she paused, glancing at me. "Actually, one did pass, but as for the rest of you, there was no effort made... Just when I thought someone actually tried, they only changed the appearance. No one except for Basil attempted to emphasize the flavor. I'm positive that none of the rest of you took cooking seriously!" Menchi finished. Everyone glared at me. I gulped, flinching back.

"But I thought you failed..." Kurapika whispered to me.

"She only said that then because she didn't want to look like she was choosing favorites." Kurapika nodded his understanding.

"Pork dishes are all the same..." Hanzo muttered under his breath. Unfortunately for him, Menchi heard.

"Just say that once more. Any more crap from you, and I'll shove my arm up your ass and knock your teeth out!" She yelled as she gripped his scarf, yelling in his face. She let him go, than sat back down. "In other words, none of you but Basil have the guts to try anything new." Menchi said. I grinned at that.

"Shut up! I'm not trying to become a cook or a gourmet... I want to be a Hunter! My goals is to become a Black List Hunter. I refuse to let a mere Gourmet Hunter to decide my fate!" The person who'd started this argument yelled. I glared at him. _And while you're out searching for someone to hunt down and you're in the middle of the forest starving to death, don't go crying to her when you eat some poisonous berries!_ I thought. I really wanted to say that to him aloud, but I bit my tongue back in stupid habit.

"Too bad you gut stuck with a mere Gourmet Hunter as an examiner... Better luck next year?" Menchi said as sarcastically as possible. The man, boiling over in rage, swung a fist at Menchi.

"Why you... Don't mock me!" He yelled. But before he could land his attack, Buhara was on him and had punched him into the wall.

"Buhara, don't interfere," Menchi said, calm as ever.

"But... If I hadn't intervened, you'd have killed him, right?" Buhara asked.

"Probably." She replied, standing, holding knives in both her hands. She walked towards the group. "Let me clarify this... We frequently venture into the dens of ferocious beasts, searching for ingredients." Menchi started to juggle the knives. I watched them, when something caught my eye. _Was she using Nen? Yeah... And the knives had multiplied... Cool. _"Every Hunter knows some from of martial art. You lack focus and the willingness to experiment..." She pointed the four knives at everyone. "That alone disqualifies you from becoming Hunters!" I started to raise my hand, but it quickly lowered. She was a hunter, so she knew what she was talking about. I wasn't even from this world, so who was I to correct her? Sure, Kai-san had said that anyone could become a hunter as long as they were strong enough, but even then... I shook my head. No, she was probably right. Was she?

Within my thoughts I didn't even notice the person who'd jumped from the blimp above until they'd already landed, sending a dust cloud everywhere. I coughed, stumbling back a bit, then tried to get a good view of the man.

"W-who's that geezer?!" One of the people stuttered once the dust cleared.

"The chairman of The Selection Committee. He's in charge of the Hunter Exam... Chairman Isaac Netero." Menchi replied as she started over to him. I blinked at the old man. That was Isaac? I'd only heard about him from Kai-san... Man, was his aura intense!

"Well, I worked behind the scenes. I only take action when there's an issue, like now." Isaac started to laugh as his eyes narrowed. "So, Menchi-kun..."

"Yes, sir." Menchi replied.

"You failed them all, except Basil, because you disapproved their reluctance to try new things?" He asked.

"No, I lost my cool when one of the candidates insulted Gourmet Hunters. And I made the exam harder than necessary." Menchi replied. I smiled. I passed the harder one... Cool!

"In other words, you're aware that this exam was unacceptable," the man continued.

"Yes, sir. When cooking is involved, I lose control. I'm unqualified to be an examiner. I will resign as examiner, so please redo the Second Phase!"

"But it'd be difficult to find another examiner on such a short notice."

"I apologize..."

"Very well, how about this? I'd like you to continue serving as an examiner. But you must also participate in the new test you propose." Isaac finished. I sighed. _So we'd be re-taking it? I guess that was good, but still, I'd already passed..._

"Then the new challenge will be..." Menchi paused. "Boiled Eggs!" I blinked. _Boiled eggs were really easy... Though so was killing a pig. I wonder what we're going to have to do for the eggs._ "Chairman, can you take us to Mt. Split in Half in your airship?"

"Mt. Split in Half? I see what you're doing. Certainly, I can," the chairman replied.

"Everyone who wanted to pass the exam, gather! We will go ride the airship!" Menchi said, motioning to the large blimp.

"Hey, Basil, want to race to the airship?" Gon asked. I shook my head.

"No, I need to ask Menchi-san something. I'll catch up with you later." The two boys nodded as they raced off after shouting 'Go!' I walked over to Menchi. "So do I have to partake in this re-take as well? Menchi shrugged.

"If you wanna." I smiled.

"Sure, I don't mind." Menchi smiled.

"I'm sure you'll do fine anyway."

* * *

"Now, everyone, look down there." Menchi said. It had been quite a while. We'd been in the air for a long time. I'd gotten a few minutes of sleep, or rather ten minutes of practice in my world. I didn't want to stay asleep for too long, nor did I want anymore unnecessary attention. Hisoka had been staring at me for quite some time, and I wished he would stop. It was getting really creepy...

"Wh-what is that?" One of the people stuttered. I decided to walk over, and, holding onto the wall, look off the edge. We were pretty high up... Below was a cavern, a large crevasse that split open the mountain, and within that mountain was what I only presumed to be huge webs. What kind of spider makes those? I imagined a humungous Harry Potter spider and shivered, hoping I'd never have to come across them...

"A Spider Eagle's web," Menchi replied to the person's questions. I looked at her weirdly. Spider... Eagle? Hopefully that was just the name of it, and it couldn't fly. Jumping spiders were scary enough.

"They build webs down there?" Gon asked. Menchi nodded as a gust of wind blew past.

"Look below the web. Those are Spider Eagle eggs," she finished. I glanced down and saw the eggs dangling. For a split second I thought, _Oh, maybe it isn't a spider at all. Just an eagle._ But then, what made the webs? Birds don't make webs. But then again, pigs don't grow to ten feet tall and animals can't talk. I shook my head. I just hoped we never had to come across these Spider Eagles.

"Spider Eagles build their webs in deep ravines to protect their eggs from predators. This makes their eggs one of the most difficult ingredients to obtain. The eggs are also known as dream eggs." The chairman stated.

"W-wait a minute... You don't mean we..." That certain person said.

"I sure do," Menchi said with a smirk. The man was speechless.

"What?" And with that, Menchi jumped off, falling into the chasm.

"This ravine has updrafts that help the hatched chicks fly up to the web," Isaac explained. _Chicks. So they're birds._ I sighed. _Birds that can shoot webs. Great._ Then I switched my thoughts to the other part of what the chairman said. _Updrafts... Well, Menchi jumped without hesitation, so the updrafts must be strong enough to carry a person to safety._ After a second, Menchi reappeared, gracefully landing on the edge of the blimp, clutching a pretty large egg in her hands.

"There, now I just need to boil the egg," she said.

"Y-you must be joking. No reasonable person would jump down there," the person who'd wanted to become a hunter said, clearly frightened. I just laughed.

"Chicken!"

"I've been waiting for this!" Gon and I both jumped. I turned to see Kurapika and Leorio jump as well, but Crisei stayed behind. He was chatting with Isaac, and I could see a smile on both their faces.

"Okay, count me in!" Another man, who was bald, jumped after us. Soon, others jumped as well.

By the time everyone had come to terms with what exactly they were doing, they were already hanging from the web. I hung on tight, terrified that if I fell, that would be it.

But the one thought that passed through my head was if I died here, would I die back in my world?

I hoped to never find out.

Soon enough, people were falling. At first it was because they couldn't hold on, then it evolved to them thinking they'd be fine, or they'd make it. I was to terrified to think of letting go.

That is, until the web started to break.

As more people piled on, the web started to snap, stretching, getting thinner and more fragile. I started to panic. When others around us jumped, thinking they'd be able to make it, or it'd be better than if the web broke, the strain on the web lessened, and for the time being, I relaxed.

"Gon..." Kurapika said. Gon shook his head.

"Not yet." I looked at Gon like he was crazy, then smiled and relaxed. Gon would take care of us. I could trust Gon. He would know when to jump, right? At least he'd know more than I would. "Now!" Gon said. The remaining applicants who were holding onto the web jumped forward, grabbing eggs. As we all fell, I shut my eyes tight, terrified...

Until I suddenly felt like I was floating.

My eyes opened and I saw I was being carried up by the updraft. The others were flying upwards as well, but I was flying right passed them, the wind easily pushing my lightweight body into the air. I almost flew by the airship, but I felt my leg get grabbed and pulled in, and when I opened my eyes again, I was being set on the ground by Buhara. I smiled at the man, who grinned back, then I hurried over to Crisei, showing off the large egg clutched in my hands.

"Look! Wanna share?" I asked the man who hadn't jumped. He grinned.

"Cool! Sure, thank you! I've never had them before."

"Me either," I replied. _I've never had anything like it. Sure, I've had eggs... But none from this dimension.  
_

And what I found surprised me, I almost didn't want to share with Crisei. But being the good sport I was, I shared.

The dream eggs were fabulous, like nothing I'd ever tasted before. It was so worth the jump.

And I laughed in the man's face, who I found out was named Todo or something, because he didn't jump. Which means he had to take the hunter exams next year. Sucker.

And after a long speech from the chairman, we were allowed to do whatever we wanted. It's be quite a while till we arrived at the next phase.

"Hey, Basil, wanna explore with Killua and me?" I turned and smiled at Gon.

"Sure!"

* * *

**So, when I was making this chapter I realized something. Gon and the others were barely hanging onto that web, right? It was about to snap, right? Adding another person's weight to it, one who wouldn't fall, would have snapped it before the time Gon told them to jump.**

**And then I was happy. Because of how Basil is, she weighs next to nothing. Like, an average 13 year old weighs, what, 101 lbs? Well, she weighs quite a bit less... Needless to say she's _very_ underweight... As you might have been able to tell. But that made life so much easier, because that little bit of information I wasn't even thinking about when I added it, totally helped later on.  
**

**I love it when that happens with characters.**

**Like the spider deal. I didn't even know that until after I wrote it, lol. Makes her that much closer to Kurapika! XD Totally wasn't even thinking! Who knows what'll happen next. I sure don't.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sirenightsparrow - Yes, yes he did. I was half tempted to have Basil argue with him again and push him off the blimp, lol!**

**"Part of me is drawn to the nature of sadness because I think life is sad, and sadness is not something that should be avoided or denied. It's a fact of life, like contradictions are." - Robert Redford**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_My eyes opened and I saw I was being carried up by the updraft. The others were flying upwards as well, but I was flying right passed them, the wind easily pushing my lightweight body into the air. I almost flew by the airship, but I felt my leg get grabbed and pulled in, and when I opened my eyes again, I was being set on the ground by Buhara. I smiled at the man, who grinned back, then I hurried over to Crisei, showing off the large egg clutched in my hands._

_"Look! Wanna share?" I asked the man who hadn't jumped. He grinned._

_"Cool! Sure, thank you! I've never had them before."_

_"Me either," I replied. I've never had anything like it. Sure, I've had eggs... But none from this dimension.  
_

_And what I found surprised me, I almost didn't want to share with Crisei. But being the good sport I was, I shared._

_The dream eggs were fabulous, like nothing I'd ever tasted before. It was so worth the jump._

_And I laughed in the man's face, who I found out was named Todo or something, because he didn't jump. Which means he had to take the hunter exams next year. Sucker._

_And after a long speech from the chairman, we were allowed to do whatever we wanted. It's be quite a while till we arrived at the next phase._

_"Hey, Basil, wanna explore with Killua and me?" I turned and smiled at Gon._

_"Sure!"_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Hey there! Kids! Stay out of the kitchen! Go eat in the dining hall!" I looked up as I saw Gon and Killua being thrown out of the doors to the kitchen and snickered.

"Nice try though," I said. The two boys had been hungry, so they'd decided to raid the kitchen. I knew their plan would fail, and even though I was a bit hungry as well, I stayed back and waited, watching. Just like I'd thought, they had been caught by the chef and kicked out.

"Nice try? What do you mean?" Killua smirked, taking a bite out of an apple. I scoffed, crossing my arms. "Here." He tossed me an apple as well, and I stared at it, then shrugged as I took a bite. The three of us continued down the hall until Killua ran over to one of the large windows and stared out, eyes wide. "Wow, awesome! Look, Gon, Basil!"

"Hmm, what is it?" Gon said as he walked over. His eyes too got wide as he stared down. "Whoa, it's like the ground is covered in jewels!" I hurried over and looked down at the city below, big smile on my face.

"Wow, pretty! I've never seen anything like it!" The two boys stared at me.

"You've never been in an airship before?" Killua asked. I shook my head.

"Not even close."

"Me either," Gon said.

"I've been in them plenty," Killua remarked. "I don't see how someone can't. They're pretty big form of travel."

"I haven't traveled much," I said. "Until now."

"Me either. When I traveled it was on a boat," Gon said. After a pause he turned to Killua. "Hey, I was wondering. Where are your mom and dad?"

"Hmm. They're alive. Probably." Killua answered. I turned away from the window to stare at him.

"Probably?" I asked.

"What do they do?" Gon continued.

"They're assassins." Killua replied.

"Assassins?" I said, eyes wide.

"Huh? Both of them?" Gon also said, amazed as well.

"That's your guys's first reaction? You really are a riot!" Killua started to laugh. I shrugged.

"I think assassins are cool, as long as they're not trying to kill me. I didn't know they were actually real. So are you an assassin too?" I asked. Killua smirked as he started to explain his... Assassiny past.

"So there. I'm an ex-assassin." Killua finished, after the long talk. I was grinning.

"That's so cool!" I said. "I think being an ex-assassin is better than being an assassin, because then you still have all the skills but you also have freedom."

"Yeah, freedom's great," Killua said. I nodded. "So, what about you?" I looked at him like he was insane.

"What?"

"Your parents. What do they do?" I sighed.

"I hope they're dead, somewhere." I paused, a little surprised as how loosely I was able to speak. "My adoptive father, Kai-san, took me in when I escaped, and now I'm here."

"So you're like Killua?" Gon asked. I chuckled.

"Well, I'm not an assassin."

"But you ran away from your parents, just like him." I turned my head away.

"Yeah, well, it's different, OK? He has a family, sure they're not the best, but at least they care for him; albeit a twisted way. My parents didn't care for me at all. They wanted me dead!" My eyes were shut. My mind was screaming to shut up, but I couldn't. Not now, not ever. I wouldn't let my fear of them hold me back from telling them the truth. "They abused me everyday! And no one ever helped! And just when I'd finally get away, they'd find me again, then beat me until I was lying on the ground, unable to move in a pile of my own blood! 'Baise, go to the f***ing store and buy me some f***ing cigarettes.' 'Where the h*ll were you, Baise?!' 'I was at the store, getting you your cigarettes.' 'Are you f***ing talking back to me?! Piece of sh*t!' It was like that all the time! No matter what I did, I got beaten for it! And now I'm finally in a place they'll never reach me, yet I still fear them! I'm still afraid they'll find me, and it's terrifying!" I buried my head in my knees. The tears threatened to fall, but couldn't. "'Don't you dare f***ing tell anybody about this, Baise, or we'll f***ing kill you.' All their words, drilled into my head... I can't deal with it anymore! I try to become my own person, but then my father's face appears and yells at me, and I hunker down and become a shell! 'Yes, father, yes mother, I love you.' F*ck it. Screw them. Once I become a hunter I'm going to kill them. Then I won't have anything to deal with anymore."

I was met with silence. I didn't dare look at my friends. I knew the looks they were giving me.

"WAAAHH! BASIL!" I was tackled on my side by Gon, who'd pushed me to the ground in a hug.

"AH! Gon!" I didn't have the heart to push him off. When he finally got off I sat up, but a pale hand ruffled my hair. "Gah! Killua, you're messing up my hair!" The ex-assassin just laughed, then sat next to me.

"I thought something was wrong with you," he said. I turned away with a frown. "No one's that pale and light. You need to eat more." I punched him lightly on his shoulder, playfully. He just grinned.

I smiled back. At least I was able to tell them about that. I was OK with Kurapika knowing, he'd be a lot more calm about it than Gon. However, I was a little hesitant of letting Leorio know. He'd just start freaking out. He was already concerned before. And Crisei was good friends with Kurapika and I already, it was hard to hide anything from him. He'd find out, whether I wanted him to or not. However...

I didn't think I'd tell them about me being from another world. At least not yet. I wanted to take it slow. I was already about to have a heart attack, my pulse was racing, from the information I just gave away. I guessed it was because the others had opened up and shared their life as well. It made me relax, and I was able to share. But now I was, once again, stressed out and tense. I closed my eyes and let my Ten calm me down.

And that was when I felt it. A really strong, familiar presence coming at us. I turned my head, suddenly tense, hair raised on end. The two boys followed my gaze, then I looked in the opposite direction as Isaac started walking towards us. Did he... Teleport or something...?

The two boys as well turned to Isaac. "Hey, Netero-san, did you feel that?" Gon asked. Netero smiled.

"What?" I glared at the man.

"You know what." Then I turned to the two boys. "It was him."

"You're pretty nimble for an old man," Killua said, eyes narrowed. Isaac just chuckled.

"Hmm... It's pretty boring around here. Would you three care to join me in a little game?" I blinked at him in slight confusion. When someone said game in that context, it wasn't normally a game the other participants liked...

"What game?" Gon asked.

"Oh, it's a game I like to call 'Catch the Ball.' All you have to do is get the ball from me. If you do, I'll make you hunters." I paused. The man had really strong Nen... It was really intimidating, but this game seemed interesting. He wouldn't try to kill us like Hisoka had... Would he? I mean, he was the chairman...

But he was offering to instantly make us hunters if we got the ball.

There were several things that crossed my mind. Either 1) The next phases were really easy so he wanted to give us a harder challenge, or do something to us that'd make the next phases harder, 2) The next phases were really hard and so he wanted to give us a chance so he was going to go easy on us, 3) He really was just bored and wanted to see if we could possibly get the ball from him, or 4) We'd never get the ball from him, and even if we did, he'd never make us hunters, it was just a game. I was betting on either three or four.

The three of us agreed to the game, then the chairman led us to a large room. He pulled out a ball and held it in front of him, then smiled. I sat down with Gon next to the wall as Killua went first.

I watched him try, several times, for the ball. All of which ended in failure. There was many times I stared at Killua's skills in awe. One he did, where he circled Isaac and created copies of himself, was one of my favorite. When he gave up and came to sit down, letting Gon have a turn, I asked him how he did it. Hejust blinked at me, then smiled.

"Want me to teach you?" I grinned, then nodded. It seemed like a really cool skill, and I couldn't wait to learn it. I wondered if it worked in my world... Though Nen did, so I assumed it would too. And the skill had nothing to do with Nen, so it should be easy.

As I thought, after Killua's performance with the chairman, Gon failed as well. I was starting bet that my fourth prediction was correct. When Gon sat down, I stood, walking nervously over to the chairman. He just stood there, waiting. I cringed under his aura. I knew I'd never beat him. I was barely able to fight Hisoka, and this man was definitely stronger than him. But I'd try. At least once.

I launched myself at him. He dodged. I kicked. He dodged. Every move I made, he dodged. Kai-san was right, I'd never beat him.

And then I remembered something Kai-san said to me a while ago. He had told me that I should talk to a man named Isaac Netero, and he might be able to help me. I threw a punch at Isaac. Again, he dodged.

"I need to talk to you later," I whispered. "I'm sure my father has told you about my... Predicament." Isaac just smiled.

"Oh, yes. I'll see you later... Basil." And with that, I backed off and sat down with the boys.

"I'm not strong enough to get the ball rom him," I told them. "You two have better shots."

"Why don't you all work together?" Isaac asked. I motioned for the two boys to go ahead and stayed sitting, watching them.

At one point they got really close to actually getting the ball. I was surprised. And they would have actually done it if the chairman hadn't used his Nen to propel himself forward to get it.

I could tell Killua was angry and tired. I could feel how stressed he was as he headed towards me. I handed him his shirts that he had ditched,then h es tarted towards the doors. "Come on, Gon, Basil. Let's go." Gon shook his head.

"I'm staying."

"Gon, don't you see? We're NEVER getting the ball from him! All this time, and he hasn't even used his left arm or right leg!"

"You can go on ahead Killua. I'm going to keep trying until he uses his left arm or right leg." Killua scoffed, really tense, then turned to me.

"Basil, you coming?" I nodded.

"I'll be right behind you in a second." Killua nodded, then headed out the door. After I stood, saying a quick goodbye to Gon and Isaac, I walked to the door Killua left out of, fixing my slightly damp hair as I followed. I walked down the hall, then, spotting Killua, hurried over. Before I got to him though, two men had started to yell and argue.

Before I got there, the two were laying on the ground, drenched in their own blood. "Killua?" I said, slightly nervous. Killua only glanced at me, then turned away and continued walking.

"Come on." I paused, then nervously walked after him. "You're scared?" He asked. After a second of thought, I shook my head.

"No." Then I dodged past the bloody bodies as I followed him. "I guess I'm just... Surprised, I guess." A smirk came to Killua's lips.

"You're so weird. You and Gon." I just smiled. "Why were you surprised?" I shrugged.

"It's going to sound weird, but when you said you were an ex-assassin my brain registered as, 'I won't kill anyone unless I'm forced to.'" I started to chuckle, and surprisingly, Killua did as well.

"Thanks," Killua said. I blinked at him in confusion.

"For what?"

"Eh, it's nothing." I frowned, then closed my eyes as I pointed a finger in the air.

"'Nothing is still something. Space is still matter. The world is always turning. It's never 'nothing'.'" I said, repeating the exact words Crisei had told me during the first phase. Killua just frowned at me. I sighed, then shrugged. "Crisei." Killua 'ahhed' then silenced as he continued on in silence. I figured he wasn't wanting to speak about it. It was understandable... I was like that. But it made me curious at what he was hiding. Thanks for what? I just shrugged with a small smile.

* * *

**Fun fact of the day: Baise is French for f*ck.**

**Her parents really hated her, didn't they?**

**Anyways, so here's a tiny bit of fluff. I think. Anyways, so it's the beginning of Killua and Basil's relationship, and the beginning of Basil coming clean with who she really is. When do you think she'll come clean with her being from another world...? Secret info for those who read this, I'm sorry, but it's going to be a while until Killua and Basil get to _that_ point in their relationship. And no, I don't mean _sex_, you dirty-minded people. Basil is terrified of that. Oh, next chapter I'm going to post Basil's five fears, in order. Just because I can. Welp, thank you everyone for the reviews! It really inspires me!**

**Cookies for everyone! _Basil-made cookies._ Enjoy!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks to everyone who is following this story! It means a lot! Oh, if anyone's interested, on my profile is the link to my deviantart, and I have pictures of Basil I drew there. XD And a big thank you to Sirenightsparrow, who is an avid reviewer and reviews every chapter, and to Zeladious, who reads through and helps with spacing and spelling! It means more than you know!**

**Sirenightsparrow - I'm glad. Basil: "Would you like a train shaped cookie? I can make one. :D"**

* * *

**"If my world were to cave in tomorrow, I would look back on all the pleasures, excitements and worthwhilenesses I have been lucky enough to have had. Not the sadness, not my miscarriages or my father leaving home, but the joy of everything else. It will have been enough." - Audrey Hepburn**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Basil, you coming?" I nodded._

_"I'll be right behind you in a second." Killua nodded, then headed out the door. After I stood, saying a quick goodbye to Gon and Isaac, I walked to the door Killua left out of, fixing my slightly damp hair as I followed. I walked down the hall, then, spotting Killua, hurried over. Before I got to him though, two men had started to yell and argue._

_Before I got there, the two were laying on the ground, drenched in their own blood. "Killua?" I said, slightly nervous. Killua only glanced at me, then turned away and continued walking._

_"Come on." I paused, then nervously walked after him. "You're scared?" He asked. After a second of thought, I shook my head._

_"No." Then I dodged past the bloody bodies as I followed him. "I guess I'm just... Surprised, I guess." A smirk came to Killua's lips._

_"You're so weird. You and Gon." I just smiled. "Why were you surprised?" I shrugged._

_"It's going to sound weird, but when you said you were an ex-assassin my brain registered as, 'I won't kill anyone unless I'm forced to.'" I started to chuckle, and surprisingly, Killua did as well._

_"Thanks," Killua said. I blinked at him in confusion._

_"For what?"_

_"Eh, it's nothing." I frowned, then closed my eyes as I pointed a finger in the air._

_"'Nothing is still something. Space is still matter. The world is always turning. It's never 'nothing'.'" I said, repeating the exact words Crisei had told me during the first phase. Killua just frowned at me. I sighed, then shrugged. "Crisei." Killua 'ahhed' then silenced as he continued on in silence. I figured he wasn't wanting to speak about it. It was understandable... I was like that. But it made me curious at what he was hiding. Thanks for what? I just shrugged with a small smile._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I yawned, sitting up and stretching. I smiled slightly, then frowned again. Back in my world. It was both a blessing and a curse. But honestly, I'd rather I never returned here.

I missed sleep. Really, I hadn't slept since the wish. I had always been awake, either here or there. I missed dreaming, I missed feeling rested when I woke, instead of constantly exhausted.

Yes, I was exhausted. Not tired, no. Exhausted. I didn't know for how much longer I could keep it up until I finally broke.

Now I was back in my world. I had a couple hours to spend here until I needed to wake back in the Nen world to get ready for the next phase. I could practice my Ren more, and maybe test for my Hatsu. I'd just need a leaf and a cup, and water.

I relaxed and positioned myself cross-legged, closing my eyes and relaxing. Then I willed my Ten to expand. It shifted into Ren for a second, then fell back into its Ten state. As I practiced, I let my mind wander as I thought.

One of the things I hated the most was because I was awake here, I couldn't wake in the other world. So if something happened while I was here, I wouldn't know, and I could get seriously hurt without knowing it. I wouldn't wake. Kai-san had tested it. While I was sleeping on the boat, he tried all sorts of methods to try to wake me while I waited in this world. I waited for thirty minutes, then went back to find a very unhappy Kai-san. It took me a couple seconds to register the bruises and Nen pains on my body from him continuously trying to wake me, but to no avail.

Another thing I thought about was the things I'd learned about my abilities. I could only bring things from one world to another that were 'a part of me,' like my clothes and other things connected to me. I couldn't bring other people, and I couldn't bring things clutched in my hands or just flung over my shoulders. I also found out that things which happened to my body in the world I wasn't currently conscious in, only registered a couple seconds after I'd woken up. Another thing I found out, which came as a surprise to me, was that the wounds I got in one world became quite a lot less severe in the other world once I transferred over; like they'd lost some of the abuse from switching worlds or something.

There were other things I'd found out, but time was running out, so I quickly just laid down and fell back asleep, happy with my progress. I was now able to keep Ren up for three seconds. Once I got the chance I would check out my Hatsu, since three full seconds were plenty to see a reaction with the water. But before I fell asleep, a growling brought my attention and my eyes flung open to see a stray dog glaring at me, fangs barred. I growled back, flaring my Ren for a second. The dog yelped and took off. I sighed as I scooted nearer to the wall of the building I sat next to and stared up at the bleak sky. It was going to rain soon. I needed to get somewhere that'd be safe and dry.

I stood, using the wall as support, then traced along the alleyway, it nearly being dark. After finding a little area where the roof overhung a dumpster, I laid down, leaning my head against the dumpster before relaxing and finally falling asleep to the sound of rain starting to sprinkle on the ground. I unconsciously pulled the blanket I had closer to my body, hoping I wouldn't catch a cold.

* * *

When I awoke, I was back in the Nen world. My eyes flickered open for a second, then I started to move to sit up.

"Eh, stop moving." I paused, glancing over where Killua's head was resting on my shoulder, using it as a pillow. I smiled a bit, then blushed at the close contact.

"Um, Killua..."

"You're so cold." I paused.

"I'm sorry," I replied after a second. Killua just glared at me, then sat up. My heart skipped. Shit, I said sorry... I bet he hates that. I turned away. "I'll make sure to correct my error."

I flinched as Killua pinched me, and I turned to look at him in surprise.

"It's not your fault. You're cold. So? Don't apologize."

"But I-" Killua shook his head.

"Breakfast?" He asked, standing and cracking his back. I nodded, then took the hand he offered and stood. He started off, and I looked around before following.

"Where is every-" I was cut off as Killua pushed open doors and in the room was a lot, but not all, of the applicants, all sitting around and eating food. My eyes widened and I hurried over to grab myself a platter of the delicious smelling food. After I piled my plate, I looked around for familiar faces. Spotting the tall figure of Leorio and Crisei I hurried over and sat down.

"-so then she grabbed my hair and yelled in my ear that I needed to 'man up and marry the darn tramp myself.'" I paused, staring at Crisei. He caught my gaze and smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "My dream last night," he said quickly before turning back to Kurapika and continuing. "Anyways-" I chuckled as I turned, hearing the loud, childish voice of my green friend.

"Hey Basil!" I smiled.

"Good morning, Gon. How are you? Did you sleep well?" He grinned.

"Yup! I'm doing fine, how 'bout you?"

"Pretty good."

"Morning Gon." Killua said, walking over with a plate that rivaled mine.

"Morning Killua!"

"Man, how can you be so happy in the morning?" Gon just smiled.

"Maybe he's just that special," I said, taking a sip of orange juice. Killua just scoffed as he started to wolf down his food. I started as well, it soon turning into a race as Killua, Gon and I all ate as much as we could. I finished first, but Killua ate more food. Me, with my tiny stomache, ate like a bird and couldn't eat as much as I thought.

"Hey, you going to finish that?" Killua asked, pointing to the bit of hash-browns still on my plate. I shook my head, and he reached over to take my plate for me. With Gon and Killua stuck deep in conversation, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Kurapika, who had ditched Crisei with Leorio.

"Can I talk to you for a bit? Before we land?" He said. I nodded, getting up from my seat and following Kurapika out into the hallway. "Gon told me." I looked away from him, teeth grit. I knew what he was talking about, and it made my heart race. "I can't believe that your parents were so mean to you! How dare they abuse you!" I looked up to see Kurapika, brows furrowed in anger.

"So he... Told you everything?" I said nervously. Kurapika shook his head.

"Just that your parents abused you. He said it was your choice what you wanted to tell me." I wrapped my arms around the Kurta, eyes squinted shut.

"I want to, I really do! But it's so hard, Kura!" Kurapika, who had been surprised by the sudden hug, softly patted me on the head. I flinched at first, then relaxed.

"It's all right. You can tell your big brother anything." I couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you," I said, as I took a step back, letting myself calm. That's right. Kura was my big brother now. My Nii-san. I closed my eyes, then started with something simple. "They hurt me everyday. No matter what I did, they hurt me." I clenched my hands into fists. "The last time I saw my father he tried to shoot a bullet through my head! And the last time I saw my mother she was holding me down while my father tried to stab me through the heart with a knife! It didn't used to be that bad, but ever since I was little it just got worse and worse! I don't want to be near them ever again, but I- I can't! Kura, I want to stay with you, Leorio, Crisei, and Gon and Killua... But I-" I stopped myself, body shaking. I looked up at Kurapika with sad eyes, and vibrant red eyes looked back as Kurapika's face was contorted in anger. At first I was a little shocked, but then I remembered he was a Kurta. And Kurta's eyes glowed a vibrant crimson red.

"I swear... I'll never let them hurt you..." He said. I smiled sadly at him.

If only that was true.

"Hohoho, good morning Basil, Kurapika." I turned to see Isaac walking towards us. "Might I speak to Basil alone?" He said, glancing at the Kurta. Kurapika glanced at me and I gave him a small smile. He ruffled my hair and I swatted his hand away as I tried to fix my now messy hair, then turned to the chairman.

"Yeah?"

"Walk with me?" I nodded as I started to walk down the hall with the man. "So... You're from another world." I nodded. The chairman smiled. "Tell me, what is it like there?" I frowned.

"Terrible. No Nen, no beauty... Everything's polluted and everyone sits on their butts playing games and living out life as a routine. There's not much to do. It's boring." The chairman stroked his beard.

"Hm... Interesting."

"I think the gravity's a bit more dense there too. I feel a lot lighter here. Also the animals. My world has some pretty cool animals, but none like the magical beasts in this world." Isaac nodded.

"So, tell me, do you like it here?" I nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! I love it here! I don't want to go back to my world!" The man chuckled.

"So, Kaijinmaru told me that you switch back and forth from worlds when you sleep, is that true?" I nodded.

"Sometimes though something happens in my world, and I get pulled into a coma-like state here and get pulled back to there, but it doesn't happen with this world. Also I've found that if I stay awake in one of the worlds for too long I do get tired... And-" I went on to tell him all that I'd learned. About the pain and lack thereof, the seconds it takes to register, the way I could only bring certain things, and all the other things I could remember I'd learned. After I finished telling him everything about my ability, we stood in silence.

"Hmm..." I stared at the man for a couple seconds, wondering what he was going to say. After a bit he finally continued. "Well, I don't think I can help you with that. I think it's something you have to deal with and figure out on your own. However, I have a thought of what is happening. I think that when you used the wish, it split your soul in half." I paused at that.

"But... How is that possible? You can't live with half a soul!" Isaac just hmed, lost in his own thoughts.

"Maybe you're right." The chairman paused, eyes twinkling. "Maybe you aren't really alive." I balked at him. "But I don't think you're dead either. You see, I think both of your bodies are only shells, until your soul enters them. So when you are asleep in one world, the unconscious half of your soul is awakened in the other. And when you are pulled back into your world, it pulls the other half of your soul back into your original body, creating your body here back into a shell, or, a coma." I listened intently, but my head was swarming. "Do you follow?" I nodded my head, but wasn't sure if I really understood.

"Not really," I said, turning my nodding head into a shaking one.

"Well then let me put it this way. Making the wish gave you a second life, but because it's using the same soul it's connecting the two worlds through a rift created when your soul was split in two. However, this is just a theory of mine." I nodded. "Shall I continue?" I nodded again. "I think that the body of yours back in your world has more power since it is the original body and can hold the soul better. I think that is why you cannot be jolted back into this world. I also think that this rift is the reason of the time problem of yours... Since the rift is open, time is still slipping by, though only half as fast. If your soul wasn't there, or was somehow severed, time would presumably stop."

"I guess that makes sense. How do you know you're right?" The man just laughed.

"Oh hohoho, I don't. I'm just guessing. It's up to you to find out what the extent of your abilities really are." I smiled, then looked forward to see we'd just walked in a big circle. "I'll see you later, Basil-chan."

"See you later Netero-dono."

* * *

I stared out at the endless expanse of nature, expanding limitlessly around the tall tower everyone was piling onto. I made sure to tread carefully as I walked away from the people to avoid being pushed. I stared out at the bright sky, eyes sparkling in delight as I marveled at the beauty.

So this was the third phase. This tower, in the middle of nowhere, tasked with getting to the bottom within 72 hours, or three days, was the third phase.

Shit.

* * *

**Basil's 5 top fears:**

**1) Her mother and father**

**2) Sex**

**3) Losing everything precious to her**

**4) Immense pain**

**5) Spiders**

**Sure, she's afraid of other things, but those are the main five.**

**So I have determined Crisei is an Emitter. What do you think? I think it fits him.**

**Anyways, so Netero has spread some light on Basil's abilities! Yay! Now they're not as confusing! If only they knew he was right...**

**Do you like kittens? I love kittens. I have a kitten sitting with me. She's all curled up next to me, so cute! If you like kittens, tell me! -Shoves cute, fluffy kitten in your face-**


	19. Chapter 19

**Oh my gosh, 47 reviews, 42 followers, and 32 favorites already. This story is a hit! I'm so glad you all love it so much! 47 reviews in 18 chapters... ~2 2/3 reviews per chapter. I'm amazed! Thank you all so much! Wow, and 6 whole reviews for the last chapter...**

**Anyways, I KEEP FINDING MICE IN MY HOUSE! THE KITTEN ISN'T DOING HER JOB! Does anyone have good mice destroyer ideas?**

**Sirenightsparrow - From what I read about her, no. It's quite a bit different than that. And you're only partially right, some of her Nen will have to do with time, but that's not coming around for quite a bit.**

**basecannon - Yeah, I live near a farm so there's cats EVERYWHERE. People think, 'oh, it's a farm. They won't mind another cat' so they dump their cats there and then we have more strays. And we have to fix them all or else we get hundreds of kittens everywhere and we can't deal with it.**

**Sabrina M - Thank you so much!**

**Guest - Yeah, I'm a sexiphobe. Haven't had it yet, terrified of the idea. Same with Basil, but for more... Reasons.**

**KonekoNoRenkinjutsushi - I checked out the Deviantart link on my profile and it brings me to my Deviantart page like it's supposed to. I don't see what's wrong. But thank you so much! OMG, you cannot guess how much I'm bouncing in excitement right now, your comment has made my MONTH! I'm watching you on Deviantart now. Sure, I'd love it if you drew some fan art! XD I don't mind if you draw me a new cover, though I can't guarantee I'll use it.**

**Zeladious - Thank you! That really helps me know where the errors are. Honestly, I type so fast I make mistakes like that a lot... I don't mind, though. I really appreciate it. And yes. I love dogs a lot too. (Admittingly, I hate humans and strive to be an un-human as much as I can.)**

* * *

**"I can see the humorous side of things and enjoy the fun when it comes; but look where I will, there seems to me always more sadness than joy in life." - Jerome K. Jerome**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_I stared out at the endless expanse of nature, expanding limitlessly around the tall tower everyone was piling onto. I made sure to tread carefully as I walked away from the people to avoid being pushed. I stared out at the bright sky, eyes sparkling in delight as I marveled at the beauty._

_So this was the third phase. This tower, in the middle of nowhere, tasked with getting to the bottom within 72 hours, or three days, was the third phase._

_Shit._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Wow, we're so high up!" I groaned at Gon's comment. Normally I wouldn't mind, but with the task at hand, I didn't see how he could be so optimistic.

Plus we had three days. _Three whole days_ to try to get to the bottom. It doesn't take three days to get to the bottom unless there are really difficult obstacles. I, needless to say, was NOT looking forward to the trek down.

"Are we supposed to climb down?" Leorio asked, looking over the edge.

"You're kidding me!" Crisei exclaimed. I'm NOT climbing down!" Kurapika nodded.

"Agreed. It would be suicide..."

"Maybe for a normal person. But for a top-class rock climber can handle this, no problem." Everyone turned to look at a man who was walking over. I looked at the man like he was crazy. He was actually going to attempt to climb down? I shook my head. Whatever floats his boat. My problem was if I suddenly got jolted while climbing.

My eyes squinted shut at the thought. Me, climbing down, then suddenly jolted. And no one knew of my other-world origins, so they wouldn't be watching out for me. Then I would fall to my death and I-

"Wow." Killua said, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked forward to see the man climbing down at an incredible speed down the side of the tower.

"He's going down pretty fast." Gon stated. But it didn't last long. The large redish creatures I'd barely spotted in the distance had decided to come over.

"Stop! Stay away! Stop! Stop it!" The man yelled. Then they ate him. They _ate_ him. I balked, then turned away. _SHIT_.

"G-Guess we can't climb down the side…" Leorio said nervously.

"No shit," Crisei said, face pale.

"Yeah, I'm not climbing down the tower," I said aloud, agreeing with the two. After quite a bit Crisei spoke up.

"Maybe there's a trap door or something," he said. "The amount of people are getting less and less." I looked around to see Crisei was indeed correct. There was less people on the platform than there was previously. I crouched down to the ground, pressing my ear against the cold metal and listening for any irregularities as I tapped it with a closed fist. "Basil, what are you doing?"

"Shh." I said, moving on my hands and knees as I continued to knock. It wasn't long before Gon and Killua copied me and went around, also looking for ways to get in. Eventually, when I knocked a low ringing came back signalling the part of the tower below was hollow. I grinned. After a bit and a lot of discovering, Gon motioned the others over to us.

"What is it Gon?" Kurapika asked.

"Look. We found a hidden door." Gon said as he pointed to the ground. He pressed on the stone lightly to show them.

"I see now. So we can descend by flipping the stones." Kurapika said. I nodded.

"Okay! Great job, Gon! Let's head on down!" Leorio said as he started off.

"But I'm confused." Gon continued. He looked at me and I shrugged. I too was confused about the many rooms. Though there could be several reasons for them.

"About what?" Leorio asked as he paused.

"There are also hidden doors here, there, there, over there, and over there as well. And Basil found three more over there, there, and there, though that one's closed." Gon replied, pointing in another direction.

"That many?" Leorio said, kind of shocked.

"Five hidden doors, located in the same area, and three in another. It sounds suspicious to me. Some could be traps." Kurapika said in thought. Crisei nodded.

"And it looks as though each door can only be used once…" Killua said.

"Seriously?" Leorio replied, shocked.

"Yeah. Killua and I saw someone use a hidden door, and tried opening it but it didn't budge," Gon stated.

"When I checked it out, it seemed like it'd been sealed, like another layer had been added so no one could use it again. It didn't sound quite hollow anymore, just like the one over there." I said.

"Judging by the door's size, only one can fit each time." Gon continued.

"In other words, only one person can use one door. We'll have to split up. We decided that we're going to choose a door." Killua finished.

"No hard feelings if one of us spring a trap! What are you guys going to do?" Gon said joyfully.

"I can live with it. Luck is part of the game…" Leorio said.

"I have no objection," Kurapika also agreed.

"I'm going with Basil, whichever door is closest to hers," Crisei said with a sigh. "I just hope I don't get any bad luck..."

"Well then, that settles it," Kurapika said with a nod. Everyone went to their hidden doors. I decided to go with the first one I'd found, and Crisei took one near me. The others took four of the ones closer to each other.

"Let's go, on the count of three." Leorio said.

"I guess this is goodbye for now." Gon continued. I nodded.

"We'll meet up again, at the tower's base." Kurapika finished. My heart skipped a beat in slight fear. I felt really bad, like that feeling when something really bad was about to happen... Like that sixth sense that told you to run, or not to do something because it would lead to something awful.

"Wait, guys, I don't-" I was cut off by Killua.

"Let's go… One!"

"Two!" Gon continued.

"Three!" Everyone said.

"Wait!" I said quickly, but it was too late. They'd already gone. I turned to Crisei, who had a worried look on his face as he stared at me.

"You... OK?" He asked, choosing his words. I shrugged.

"Just this bad feeling." I smiled sadly, then looked down. "Eh, I'll see you at the bottom, right?" Crisei nodded, then smiled, placing a hand on my shoulder in comfort.

"It'll be OK. See you at the bottom." Then he pressed his stone and disappeared as he fell. I looked down at my stone as well, then pressed it. Then I fell into the tower.

* * *

"Welcome! My name is Lippo. I am the prison warden here, as well as the Third Phase examiner. Multiple routes through this tower have been prepared. You have chosen the path of Experiences. You will go through several areas and will have to deal with physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, virtual, and/or subjective experiences." I stared at the two doors in front of me, then turned to see Crisei and an unknown person who had been waiting impatiently for us. The unknown person, who'd introduced himself as Marc, had a smug grin on his face, while Crisei just frowned in anticipation. I looked back at the doors in worry. "Good luck!" Then the voice of the examiner, Lippo, left us.

"So, what are we going to do?" I asked the two, staring at the board in front of me with the symbols of the language of this world on it. I furrowed my brows. I still couldn't read it... Damn. I turned to the other two, mentally pleading for them to read what it said aloud. I didn't want to tell them I couldn't read...

"Well, we go either into the right door to take on physical experiences or the left to take on mental. I don't know about you two, but I'd prefer not to have my brain messed with." The other guy nodded, then the two boys looked at me.

"Eh, sure," I said, really glad Crisei had basically told me what the signs said. "Physical it is." The three of us pressed the X on our watches and the door opened. The three of us walked in.

After what seemed hours of physical torture of memories of pain and abuse, at least for me, the two men had different experiences, the three of us emerged from the room. I had to admit though, it was kind of hilarious. I had it good, since all my physical experiences I saw or felt were bad I was able to make it out of the room OK. Crisei and Marc, on the other hand, I had to save several times from falling into a pit or getting torched by a hidden flamethrower because they had some good physical experiences, and were running towards them and almost falling into traps. But I groaned when we reached the next room.

More writing I couldn't read.

"Now what?" Crisei said as he stared at the writing. Then he turned to Marc and I. "What do you think?"

"Considering I'm not religious in any way, and I have a bad feeling about emotional, I'm going with social." Marc replied, fizzing out a bit of his hard that was still smoking from almost getting hit by a wall of fire. So the three doors were spiritual, emotional, and social?"

"I kind of want to do emotional. I'm not very good with the social experiences..." I said. Crisei shrugged.

"Well I don't care which we do," he replied. "Though I had very bad social experiences, and according to the last room the worse off you are the better chance you have at passing." I nodded. Seemed like it. I looked at the rooms for a bit, wondering, while the three of us sat in silence. "Ah-ha!" Marc and I looked at Crisei.

"What?" I asked him.

"Let's do social. We'll just have to watch out for Marc and make sure he doesn't get in trouble!" I nodded. Sounded like a plan. Though I did want to do emotional more...

"I can take care of myself," Marc said unhappily.

"Alright, let's go," I said, ignoring Marc's remark. The three of us pressed the + on our watches. The door opened and we walked in.

Social went by pretty easy. Except for Marc who almost got flamed. Again. Needless to say his cockiness at the beginning was getting him in trouble. If it wasn't for Crisei and I, he would've been toast already.

Then came the third room. This one had a lot more writing on it. "Shit," was all Crisei said as he looked at Marc and I. I stared at him.

"What?" I asked. He looked at me.

"Huh?" A tick-mark appeared on my head.

"If you couldn't tell already I can't read." Crisei blinked at me, then ahed.

"It says the left goes to virtual, and the right goes to subjective. However, if we choose virtual, one of us has to stay behind." He pointed to the shackles meant to tie one of us up. I opened my mouth to speak, but Marc beat me to it.

"But subjective is much, much harder and quite a bit more dangerous," he said. "Plus it says we'll have to deal with it for longer time, and it takes quite a bit longer to get to the bottom, plus leads to join another path called the Path of Misfortunes. Virtual leads to a fairly easy path and branches out to the Path of Majority Rules." I closed my mouth and thought for a second, then glanced at Crisei.

Then he and I grabbed Marc and tied him up, going into the virtual door.

"HEY! WHAT THE HECK YOU TWO?!" Marc yelled. The door behind us closed, and the two of us continued on. Then I paused.

"Wait. You're not even taking the exam. Why did we have to tie him up? It would've just been me and him taking it." Crisei sweat-dropped as well, then laughed sheepishly.

* * *

I slid down the tunnel, almost falling as it bent into an almost straight drop down. I screamed in glee, then turned to see Crisei behind me, not as excited. I just giggled at the face he made as he was attempting, but failing, at slowing down.

And then we emerged from the tunnel and landed on a pile of bodies.

"Ow!"

"Are you kidding me?"

"What?"

"Ah!"

"Really?!"

I groaned as I sat up, rubbing my hip in slight pain. Then I looked around.

"Basil! Crisei!" I grinned at the smiling face of Gon.

"Gon!" I exclaimed happily.

After everyone got untangled, there was a lot of hugging and talking, but soon everyone quieted as Killua spoke up.

"I'm leaving now," he said, jutting his thumb back. I looked at him in confusion as he stepped onto a platform and was let into the middle of a large room. Another man, who ditched his cloak, stood across from him. "How are we settling this contest?" Killua asked, staring at the man. I looked to Kurapika for understanding. He told me and Crisei about their experiences and what'd been going on so far, about the previous contests and who won.

"Contest? I believe you're confused. This will be a one-sided massacre. I have no interest in the exam or any offer of amnesty. I just want to hear you scream." The man said. I gulped. He was scary... But not as scary as her father. Killua could do it.

"Really? OK. Then the loser is the one who dies." Killua replied. Everyone looked shocked and surprised at that statement, except for Gon and I.

"Yeah, that's right. I'll tear your body apart…" The man started to reach for Killua, but instantaneously Killua seemed to move behind him, and a shocked look appeared on the man's face as he turned. "Wh-what? I'm so cold." Killua held out his hand, which held a bag with something in it. I flinched as I took a step back. Killua had just ripped the man's heart out. The still beating heart sat in the bag, which had become bloody. "That's mine. G-give it back." The man collapsed to his knees, the hole in his chest where his heart used to be standing out against his tan, tattered clothes. His eyes flittered desperately through the crowd before landing on mine, his eyes flashing through the desperate emotions of a dying man, pleading desperately. He searched my eyes, looking for those emotions... Empathy, sorrow, pity; he found none. Instead he saw only fear in my eyes, but not the same, no, I didn't fear for myself, I feared for the boy behind him, the boy who had in less than a second ripped his heart clean from his chest. I held his eyes as he died, seconds turning into decades before his eyes lost the light, glimpsing one more thing before he died. Envy.

"Okay. That's three wins, two losses. We pass right?" Killua asked as he turned away from the man and towards the other prisoners.

"Yeah, you win," one replied. Killua smirked.

"By the way, you must be itching for some action, since you didn't get to do anything. Want to play with me?" Killua asked. the man quickly shook his head no.

"Now what?" Crisei asked.

"This idiot wasted quite a bit of our time," Tonpa, who I couldn't help but glare at, said, jutting his thumb at Leorio. "So we have to wait in a room."

And then the loud argument between Tonpa and Leorio commenced.

* * *

**This chapter was so hard to write! I don't know how others do it... I had to get some ideas from others to figure out how to write this, lol...**


	20. Chapter 20

**Eh, sorry it took me a bit to get this chapter posted! I've been really busy... OH! Guess what? I'm now in a band! I'd been in one before, but it just didn't work out, but now I'm in a new one and it's great! I'm so excited!**

**KonekoNoRenkinjutsushi - Yeah, that's what I do, though I don't get rid of the # sign. But I need to find a way to turn it into a link... But yes, I can't wait either! So excited! And normally I don't put the characters with the main group during the trick tower part, but for the sake of story development I had to. Just had trouble exactly figuring out how to write it, lol. But at least I did it!**

**basecannon - Maybe. I'll try it. Thanks!**

**Liz - I'm glad! I was trying for a more lighthearted scene there, and I'm glad it made you laugh!**

**Guest - Yeah.**

* * *

**"Everything's complicated, even those things that seem flat in their bleakness or sadness." - Nick Hornby**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Okay. That's three wins, two losses. We pass right?" Killua asked as he turned away from the man and towards the other prisoners._

_"Yeah, you win," one replied. Killua smirked._

_"By the way, you must be itching for some action, since you didn't get to do anything. Want to play with me?" Killua asked. the man quickly shook his head no._

_"Now what?" Crisei asked._

_"This idiot wasted quite a bit of our time," Tonpa, who I couldn't help but glare at, said, jutting his thumb at Leorio. "So we have to wait in a room."_

_And then the loud argument between Tonpa and Leorio commenced._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I sighed as I leaned against the wall. Leorio had lost to his betting battle to a female prisoner, and had bet away fifty hours. That meant for the duration of the time we had to sit in this small room together and wait. I wondered if we had chosen the longer path if we would've gotten to the bottom sooner... Though then I wouldn't have gotten to be with my friends.

Anyways, now was a good time to get some sleep, maybe I could get some of that ice cream and bring it for Killua and Gon. I stood and walked over and curled up on the couch, making sure to glance at the clock before closing my eyes. I had basically four straight days to do whatever I wanted in my world; not that I was planning on doing that. That was stupid, staying there for that long. But at least I had a lot of time to do whatever.

And I drifted off to sleep, ignoring that nagging feeling in the back of my head that meant danger.

When I woke, I almost screamed. Right in front of me was the biggest rat I'd ever seen. All grey and creepy, red beady eyes staring right at me. It hissed before running away. I stood instantly, looking around. Ugh, that thing surprised me...

I quickly got out of the alleyway, looking for a new place to stay where I could rest and practice my Ren. The place I had been staying at for a while had started to have some foot traffic. I could tell from the graffiti on the walls, stating gang names and pictures of stories and art; they were pretty, but I needed to stay some place else if those type of people were going to be around. I didn't want to have to deal with them.

I smiled an hour later as I found the abandoned building I'd stayed at before was still abandoned. It looked like the project of reconstruction had been put on hold for a while and wasn't going to be kicking up anytime soon. An added bonus was the lack of graffiti, which meant no dealing with anyone.

I grabbed onto the latter and started up the side, careful of my grip and where possible weak spots might be in the structure. Once I found an area that seemed safe I crawled off and over to the thin board, sitting straight and cross-legged. I closed my eyes, then began to practice my Ren.

Half an hour later I found myself back on the earthy ground. I was looking for a cup. I could get water from the drinking fountain at the park, and a leaf from one of the trees. It was the cup I might find difficulty getting.

And then, success. In the dumpster behind one of the shops was a small plastic cup that had probably been used as a sample cup. It would do. Not perfectly, but well enough. I turned around to race to get some water and the leaf, when I bumped into someone who'd been right behind me. I'd been so focused on the cup, and finding out what my Hatsu was, I hadn't been paying attention. Plus an added effect of being my world, which I was now a lot more indifferent about and saw no real threat besides my parents.

I quickly looked the two up and down. They were both male. One looked about 16 while the other, who was much taller, looked about 19 or 20. The younger one, admittingly, looked a lot like Crisei, minus the fact he had freckles and wore a smug look on his face. He had a bandanna around his neck and his clothes were wrinkled and baggy. The taller one had darker clothes on. His hair, a more reddish brown color, was longer and was tied up with the same bandanna around his forehead. He had a bit tanner skin, but still wore a sneer across his face.

"Who're you?" The taller boy asked.

"Gretchen," I lied.

"Well, Gret, do you know where you are?" The younger one asked. I looked around for a second, than spotted a sign on the back of one of the buildings.

"Behind Sushiko. In Markham?" I guessed.

"Eeh." The younger one made a buzzer-like sound, signaling I was wrong.

"You're in Biohazard territory," the older one continued. "You see, we keep the peace around here, make sure everyone does their part. And you, Gret, aren't paying up. You see, we've been noticing you around here the past few days. Let's just say it's a little rent fee for staying in the city."

"Yeah! A little rent fee! Just pay up and we'll leave you alone!" I stared at the two as they shared a smile.

"You'll leave me alone, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah, and we'll even let you have that cup you stole from us!" I looked at the cup for a second, then back at them. Sure, I was thirteen, but that didn't mean I could be treated like a kid.

"I was just borrowing it for a second," I said innocently. The older one scoffed.

"Either way you took it. Now pay up or else we can't really guarantee your safety." I blinked.

"Well, I don't have any money..."

"Well, that's too bad," the older one said. The younger one grabbed me and pinned me to the wall. "I guess we'll just have to take you then."

"You don't want to do that," I stated simply, almost choking.

"Why not, B****?" The older one said. "You're our property now, we can do whatever we want to you." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, blowing a puff into my face. I coughed.

"Because." I glared at him, activating my murderous Ren, and effectively blowing out the flame from the lighter. "I will murder you on the spot." The two boys looked terrified and took off. I crumpled to the ground, coughing as my Ren dispersed after five seconds. It was all I could currently handle.

I glanced at the crumpled cup in my hand and sighed, then took off to find some water and a leaf.

What idiots.

* * *

Three hours had passed in the Nen world. Several times Killua or one of the others were complaining on how long it was taking. If they thought it was taking long, talk about me! I'd already spent actually six hours in this room! But they didn't know that...

I groaned as I sat up, cracking a few bones. Crisei, who noticed I was up, came over and sat next to me.

"Man, I'm bored. Wish I could sleep too." He said.

Yeah, me too, Crisei.

"I'm sorry," I replied. Then I smiled. "Hey, how about we play a game?" Crisei raised an eyebrow.

"Sure. What is it?"

"It's called Never Have I Ever." This brought Killua and Gon over.

"Never Have I ever?" Killua asked. "I love that game."

"How do you play?" Gon asked questioningly. I started to explain, making sure to leave out the rule of taking an article of clothing off for every time someone said something you'd done. Instead, I replaced it with the ten fingers, and whoever got all their fingers down first lost, and whoever had the most fingers up won.

"Aw, but that's no fun," Killua teased. "You gotta do it the right way."

"Right way?" Gon asked.

"Yeah," Killua continued. "Whenever you have done something you have to take an article of clothing off. That's how it's really played." I blushed a slight pink as I puffed up slightly. It wasn't that I was afraid of undressing in front of my friends, no, I was OK with wearing minimal clothing, just not basically any or... More. No, I was afraid of them seeing all the scars on my skin.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Leorio beat me to it as he'd stomped over and smacked his hand on Killua's head. "Killua! It'd be alright if there was only men here, but Basil's here, and she's a girl!"

"So?" Killua retorted, a smirk on his lips. "I thought you'd like that, Leorio." My eyes widened in disgust. It was Kurapika's turn to intervene this time as he smacked both Leorio and Killua on the head with a book.

"Let's just play Basil's way," he said as he sat down. I smiled.

"So you're going to play Kura-Nii-san?" I asked. He nodded. Leorio sat as well.

"So, who's going to go first?" Tonpa said grudgingly as he sat as well. Apparently everyone was playing.

"I'll go!" Gon exclaimed, hand raised in the air. "Never have I ever..." He paused, and after a couple seconds it seemed like smoke was coming out of his ears.

"Ah! Gon, you're overthinking!" I laughed at the two boys. I ended up going first instead.

"Never have I ever eaten so much I caused myself to throw up."

By the time the game had finished, everyone was either arguing or laughing. I was the latter. Why? Because Killua had just lost. Why? Because he had been forced to admit to having to go around town in a frilly, poofy dress, makeup, and a long wig.

Needless to say I couldn't breath anymore, I was laughing so hard. Even though Killua tried to justify it by saying it was for a mission, it was still funny, and the fact Killua did it in the first place made it even worse for his pride.

Unfortunately I was laughing so hard I ended up passing out.

* * *

I 'awoke' quite a bit later. At this point I wasn't even watching the clock anymore. I mean, what was the point anyway?

"How could you stay asleep for that long?!" I turned to see Killua and Gon, who were staring at me with looks of disbelief on their faces. I stared at them with a blank expression.

"What?"

"We tossed a pillow at you but you didn't even flinch! I'm surprised you could stay asleep for all that time with all the noise!" Killua remarked. Gon nodded.

"We were worried you'd died." Killua smacked Gon on the back of his head. "Ow!"

"She wasn't even close to dead, idiot! She still was breathing, she still had a heartbeat!" I smiled at their concern, then turned and walked over to look over Kurapika's shoulder at what he was reading so as to not delve in their questions.

"-'And what is that nightmare, Craig?' 'Life.' 'Life is a nightmare.' 'Yes.' We stop. Cosmic moment, I guess. _Ooooh_ is life really a nightmare? We need to spend like ten seconds-" And then Kurapika closed his book and glanced at me. I just smiled. He sighed.

"I would prefer if you did not read my book aloud over my shoulder as I read it." He said simply. I sighed in boredom, but my boredom didn't last as I fell onto my face, being dragged by something.

"Hey!" I said, then grabbed onto Kurapika's leg. He glanced at me, then sighed in irritation. I looked back to see Killua and Gon laughing as Killua held Gon's fishing pole in his hands. I quickly undid the hook from my pants leg, then huffed over to the couch, planning to get them back for it.

And then I was bored once again.

After a while Kurapika had fallen asleep with a book in his hands, while Leorio watched T.V. and Gon and Killua feel asleep. Crisei was halfheartedly listening to my whispers of my plans. He nodded every once and a while, but it wasn't until I said ice cream he actually listened.

"And where do you plan on getting that ice cream?" He asked. I paused.

"Umm..." I had no way to come up with something else, something new. Crisei just smiled, then yawned as he turned away from me and fell asleep. I just took a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling.

What a long night this'll be.

...

Silence.

Minus the snoring and scratching sounds from the boys.

I decided to make out pictures in the ceiling to pass the time. It always helped before.

"Can't sleep?" I almost jumped. I turned to see Killua was still awake._ I would've sworn he was asleep..._ I shrugged, then smiled as I remembered the first conversation Gon and I had.

"Yeah. I haven't gotten any sleep for who knows how long anymore." I replied. I continued to stare at the ceiling. There was more silence. I could tell Killua was pondering the answer I gave him. I chuckled, then turned over on my side away from him.

"What do you mean?" Killua asked. I glanced over at him over my shoulder to see he was now sitting next to me. I turned my head away from him again. "You don't seem like you haven't been sleeping. 'Specially when you slept quite a bit here in this room."

"Do you believe in miracles?" I asked Killua. More silence. I guess he was surprised by the question I posed.

"Sure. I guess."

"And do you believe that for something good to be given, something of equal value must be taken?" I asked. I could feel him nod. (**AN: OMG, Alluka! I bet that's what's going through Killua's mind right now!**) I paused in silence for a bit, then closed my eyes. "Goodbye Killua. I'll see you when I get back."

And with that, I fell asleep.

* * *

**_Note to self:_ Never try to dust your keyboard unless you've already saved the document.**

**I took twenty minutes to write a really hilarious part in this story, which I added back after taking a couple hours to cool my head, (I'd already broken the computer enough because of rage fits) and I hit just the right amount of keys to erase everything I'd worked so hard to write. RAGE QUIT. Yeah... Anyways, so it took me a bit longer to get this typed out and posted. But hopefully, even though it didn't turn out like I wanted, you still like it!**

**FUN FACT OF THE DAY:**

**Cracking bones isn't actually cracking them. It's releasing trapped air between the joints.**


	21. Chapter 21

**So, I realized last chapter that, poor Basil! You know how with the time-loop-thing-whatnot it halves the time in the dimension she isn't in? Well, that means she ages two times faster! I mean, it's not that big of a deal with Ten, in her world, since she'll still live longer than others, but in the HunterXHunter world she's going to age much, much sooner than the others! DX Poor her! She'll be like 14 in her world or something according to the date, 15 in the HunterXHunter world according to the date, and 17 in both according to her body, while the others are still 12-looking! DX Poor Basil! What? NO! My brain can't handle, and I'm the AUTHOR! DX**

**KonekoNoRenkinjutsushi - Yes, thank you! I got it now! I know, me too! I can just see the look on Killua's face, like, WTF? Bye? Where's she going? She's just falling asleep! His brain will probably on overtime right now, lol. Poor him. Yes, me too. *Wink wink* I always have to squeal a bit whenever I see a new message in my inbox saying a new review or chapter.**

**Guest - Yeah, control Z. That works on a lot of computers. However, the buttons I had pressed hadn't deleted the story part like that, no, it reloaded the page before I had saved so as to end up erasing everything. There's no control Z for that. :'(**

**Zeladious - Hehe... I is calmed now. Ish. I'm making sure not to make the same mistake again! Yeah, me too... My mom has often times caught me yelling at the computer screen for someone 'not to be so stupid' or for them to 'kiss already' or things like that... hehe...**

**Liz - Keep reading, you'll see!**

* * *

**"Beauty is the disinterested one, without which the ancient world refused to understand itself, a word which both imperceptibly and yet unmistakably has bid farewell to our new world, a world of interests, leaving it to its own avarice and sadness." - Hans Urs von Balthasar**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_..._

_Silence._

_Minus the snoring and scratching sounds from the boys._

_I decided to make out pictures in the ceiling to pass the time. It always helped before._

_"Can't sleep?" I almost jumped. I turned to see Killua was still awake. I would've sworn he was asleep... I shrugged, then smiled as I remembered the first conversation Gon and I had._

_"Yeah. I haven't gotten any sleep for who knows how long anymore." I replied. I continued to stare at the ceiling. There was more silence. I could tell Killua was pondering the answer I gave him. I chuckled, then turned over on my side away from him._

_"What do you mean?" Killua asked. I glanced over at him over my shoulder to see he was now sitting next to me. I turned my head away from him again. "You don't seem like you haven't been sleeping. 'Specially when you slept quite a bit here in this room."_

_"Do you believe in miracles?" I asked Killua. More silence. I guess he was surprised by the question I posed._

_"Sure. I guess."_

_"And do you believe that for something good to be given, something of equal value must be taken?" I asked. I could feel him nod. I paused in silence for a bit, then closed my eyes. "Goodbye Killua. I'll see you when I get back."_

_And with that, I fell asleep._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

It was the last day. I'd spent quite enough time in my world, and starting my practice with Gyo was the next step in my training. I also had to figure out what Hatsu abilities I should make for myself. I wanted something original, something useful. Something that could be used for both offence and defence, easy to use, but not overly simple that people could figure out how to combat it immediately. Though at the current moment I was just wanting to work on my Gyo. I could withstand ten seconds of Ren, which was terrible in my opinion, but it was a lot better than when I started out. Who needed Zetsu? Clearly not I, I was able to use everything else without it. Except In. I figured, if I couldn't use Zetsu, I couldn't use In either.

I slammed a fist down onto my open palm. That was it! I'd make a Hatsu ability which I could use to help in situations where I'd need Zetsu!

I glanced over at Gon and Killua who were doing some push-ups upside down. I tilted my head at them. How was that possible? As Killua caught my gaze I looked away from him, only to see a shirtless Leorio doing squats. I sighed and looked away from him as well, then walked over to Crisei and Kura who were reading books.

8 hours left, and breakfast was served. I scarfed down as much as my small stomach could handle, which wasn't a lot, then went back to the couch to practice my Gyo. It was hard, and I could only keep it up for a split second at the current moment. Normally I could keep it up for, what, two seconds average? However, here, in this world, I was going straight from Ten to Gyo, instead of practicing by using my Ren as an interval. I didn't want to use my Ren here and have the others start to question me.

My thoughts were broken by a food fight that almost broke out between Gon and Killua if Kurapika hadn't intervened. I couldn't help but smile at the two boys.

6 hours left. Kurapika's pile of books was growing really tall, and everyone was getting pretty bored.

"Hey wanna play a game?" Killua said, breaking the silence. I looked up at him, curious.

"What game?" Gon asked.

"Is it complicated?" I asked. Killua shrugged.

"If you're the capturer, you have to try to capture the other person's hand while they try to slide past your hands. If you capture their hands you get to give them a punishment, but if they slip past them you win and give them a punishment." Killua replied. I smiled. Sounded easy.

"Ok!" Gon said.

"What's the punishment?" I asked. Killua smirked.

"You'll see."

Gon and Killua went first. Killua caught Gon's hand and gave him a hard flick on the forehead. "Ow!" Gon said as he held his head. I giggled.

"Alright, let me try," I said. Killua held his hands out and I got ready, staring at his hands, but patiently waiting. Then I looked up at Killua. "So, if you win then you're going to-" As I was speaking to distract him I tried to slip my hands speedily past his. Unfortunately Killua was too smart and still caught my hands. I pouted. "Darn, I really thought I got you." I braced for the flick on my forehead, but It never came. I opened my eyes to see Killua waiting.

"Your punishment isn't a flick," he said. Shit. What is it then? "It's a question. What did you mean? Yesterday?" I looked at him, confused, then remembered. Shoot. Well, I was wanting to tell them soon anyways... But I was so unsure, so, afraid. I wasn't sure why, but it didn't feel right.

"I- Uh..."

"Ne, Killua, what did she tell you last night?" Gon asked. Killua didn't even look at him as his eyes narrowed slightly and answered.

"She said she hasn't had sleep in a very long time, and then, before she 'fell asleep' she said 'Goodbye, I'll see you when I get back.'" I looked away from him, only to notice Leorio, Kurapika, Tonpa, and Crisei were all staring at me now. I grit my teeth.

"Oh! Just like she said to me when we first met! She said she hadn't slept for a week, then she said she had slept, but she hadn't slept, and I was really confused... I'd forgotten about that."

"Basil, what's going on?" I looked at Kurapika's questioning face, then sighed.

"I'm... Not from here," I replied. Everyone scooted around me, and my face flushed as I scooted back.

"So you're an alien? Cool!" Gon exclaimed. That made me smile.

"In a way, yes." Everyone stared at me like I was crazy. "It's up to you whether you believe me or not, but..." I trailed off, then sighed. "I'm... From a different dimension. I come here whenever I sleep, then go back to my world whenever I sleep here. It's really complicated, but-"

"So you literally haven't gotten any sleep from since you got to this dimension to now," Crisei mused, stroking his chin. After a second, he fumed. "What the heck? Why didn't you tell us this before! This is really serious!" Kurapika patted his shoulder to calm him down, then looked at me.

"This explains a lot. Especially with you not waking up until you want to, occational rips in your clothes that weren't there before, and even the exaustion you have on your face after you wake up. Normally someone wakes up rested, but you wake up like you've been out at the gym all day." I looked down, but smiled. They believed me... However, I was told not to tell them about Nen, so I'd leave the rest up to their imagination.

"Kai-san said I should tell someone so they could help me throughout the exam, but I didn't want to place that burden on anyone's shoulders... Plus, I-" I was cut off by a hug. I turned, curious as to who it was, and came face to face with black, green and white as I was pushed to the ground by the two boys.

I was afraid, but I didn't want to tell them that. This was what friends were like. Real friends, those who stayed by you and laughed with you... Ones who actually made life special.

And I knew they'd be able to help me, now that they knew the truth.

Although I was very worried about Tonpa.

He had a confused but sly smile on his face.

* * *

One minute left. "This is one long minute." Leorio said. I groaned as well. We all waited, until finally the bell rung. Gon rushed out followed by Killua, then me, then Crisei, Kurapika, Leorio and Tonpa. As we all raced along the path, we were forced with many choices. Right, left, to continue or not... We continued to press button after button, and continuously fell into traps or hard paths, though we didn't know if the paths we chose were the easier ones or not.

We had an hour left by the time we reached the point where everyone was starting to get stressed or annoyed at each other, the doors, the choices, anything they could think of. Even I was starting to get stressed. I felt annoyed currently at Tonpa, who I had decided to call Tom. He was quite annoying, to say in the least, and I couldn't wait until he was eaten or crushed or left behind.

Honestly, at first I felt bad of my feelings towards the man, but after a bit I decided i didn't care. He was really getting on everyone's nerves, and I didn't care what happened to him anymore.

"We're supposed to vote on whether to open the door? Of course we will!" Leorio said as we faced another door, much like others. The question bothered me. Why would we vote to go on? Shouldn't it be obvious? Who wouldn't go on, besides legless crab biscuits who were such pussies they had to press O for sake of saving their skins for no apparent reason. Who knew, this could be the end.

Unfortunately, someone pressed O. Leorio and I both flung around to face Tonpa, in which an argument ensued. Unfortunately, our actions were unjust as it was actually Gon who hit the O. It was by accident, but it caused me to hate myself and have to apologize to Tonpa for accusing him. After that I decided to leave the Tom conflicts to Leorio.

On the other side of the door was another door. Killua read it aloud.

"This will be the last decision made by majority rule. Are you ready? Choose O or X," he stated simply.

"Am I ready? You bet." Leorio replied.

Once again, everyone pressed O except for one. This time, it turned out to be Tonpa. There was more arguing, even though the door had already opened, and we were aloud in. Two more doors.

"Seriously?" I said, quite annoyed. I waited for someone to read it aloud for me. Currently Crisei was the only one that knew I couldn't read. Thankfully he hadn't told anyone. It would've been really embarrassing...

"Please select a path. There are two choices. One path allows 7 to pass, but is long and difficult. The other path only allows three, and is short and easy. Incidentally, the long and difficult path requires a minimum of forty-five hours. The short and easy path leads to the goal in approximately three minutes. Press O for the long and difficult path, or X for the short and easy path. If X is selected, 4 people will be secured to the wall by handcuffs, before the door will open. The four chained members will be unable to move until the time limit expires." I stared at the ceiling with a frown. I raised my hand respectively out of habit.

"Um, what about Crisei? He's not really taking the exam," I said. Silence. I looked over at Crisei, who just shrugged.

"He will have to be tied, but will be released to join you at the bottom," the voice from the intercom finally replied. Then there was more awkward silence.

"The examiners were very prepared. I think they have every weapon under the sun here." Killua finally said to break the silence.

"I wonder if we can keep any," I asked. I looked up at the ceiling, and, hearing no objection, decided to look around for something I could use. I made sure to listen to the others too though. I didn't want to come in mid-conversation and not know what was happening.

"Three out of 6… So we're supposed to fight, to decide which three pass?" Kurapika asked. I glowered at him. I would not fight them. I opened my mouth to object but Leorio beat me to it.

"Let me make this clear," he said. "I'm going to press X. But I have no intention of staying behind. I'll do whatever it takes to be one of the three who pass on…" I almost laughed.

"You're shameless. Had you not wasted fifty hours, we would be able to take the long and difficult path. Shouldn't you take responsibility and stay behind?" Tonpa said.

"What?" Leorio said, starting to get angry.

"I have to agree," Crisei said.

"You have no say in the matter!" Leorio yelled. "You get to come either way!" That shut Crisei up.

"I'm sure everyone else agrees too! Have I said anything inaccurate?" Tonpa continued. I spoke up.

"Why not something less violent like a short game or something?" I asked. They glowered at me and I shrunk back, looking back at the weapons. A couple small daggers caught my attention and I grabbed them, tracing my finger along the bone-like design, twirling them in my fingers.

"Hold on. I'm going to press O. We made it all the way here together. I want us all to pass together." I turned to Gon, a little shocked. I mean, if we pressed O, we'd never make it!

"Gon…" Kurapika started.

"Even if it's a big risk, I want to give it a shot!" Gon said. I walked over to him.

"Gon, we don't have the time. We kind of have to press X."

"Yeah, Basil's right Gon," Killua continued. "Come on, you can really call this a risk. We have less than an hour. Gon, there's only one choice, if you want to pass this exam."

"There you have it." Leorio said. For some reason, as I looked at Gon's face, I felt kind of bad for him. Like I'd let him down or something...

"Now we have to decide how to choose which three pass. Well, I'm planning that on being you, Basil, and me." Killua said to Gon. I looked at Killua, surprised. How could he choose so fast? Honestly, I don't think I would be able to choose. I'd want Kurapika, Gon, and Killua, but I would have to let one of them down if I wanted to go with them.

And then, Tonpa threw an axe at Leorio.

"Tonpa! That was dirty!" Leorio yelled as it narrowly missed him and dug into the wall behind him.

"In a fight, there's no such thing as dirty!" Tonpa yelled back. I backed up, not wanting to be apart of it if I could help it.

"Stop this, you two!" Kurapika yelled.

"Yeah, stop it! Let's find another way to deal with it!" I said as well.

"C'mon, let's do it together," Gon begged.

"Before we start fighting, we have to choose X or O!" Leorio yelled at Tonpa.

"Too late for that!" Tonpa said. Leorio grit his teeth as he grabbed a large weapon as well.

"Time to put you in your place!" he yelled.

"Right back at you." Tonpa replied.

"Seems our only chance is to fight." Killua said. I looked at him like he was insane.

Run. I'd always been taught to run or hide. Then I realized I could fight. It was an option. I could do it. But fighting wasn't a good thing. Honestly, right now I just wished everyone would stop and settle things nicely!

Time. We just needed time. Why was it there, taunting me? I had too much of it, yet never enough. Just when it seemed to help me, it'd backlash and show me I was actually behind. I had no control over it. I couldn't stop it, I couldn't fix anything. And now everyone was going to fight and I felt like it was all my fault.

And so I grabbed onto Crisei and held tight to his clothes and sobbed, shaking even though the tears would still not fall.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	22. Chapter 22

**OMG! An average of three reviews per chapter! So excited! Normally it's _.3_ reviews!**

**Anyways, so the last chapter I was going to make longer, but... Sudden writer's block. Well, here's the rest of the trick tower, and onto the fourth phase!**

**Liz - Well, she's crying for her friends. Anyways, she literally has lost the ability to cry. So sad...**

**Zeladious - Ah, yeah, I noticed that... But I didn't know which was correct since I was coming up with three different spellings of his name... I'll go back and fix that ASAP. Thank you!**

* * *

**"Live by this credo: have a little laugh at life and look around you for happiness instead of sadness. Laughter has always brought me out of unhappy situations." - Red Skelton**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Tonpa! That was dirty!" Leorio yelled as it narrowly missed him and dug into the wall behind him._

_"In a fight, there's no such thing as dirty!" Tonpa yelled back. I backed up, not wanting to be apart of it if I could help it._

_"Stop this, you two!" Kurapika yelled._

_"Yeah, stop it! Let's find another way to deal with it!" I said as well._

_"C'mon, let's do it together," Gon begged._

_"Before we start fighting, we have to choose X or O!" Leorio yelled at Tonpa._

_"Too late for that!" Tonpa said. Leorio grit his teeth as he grabbed a large weapon as well._

_"Time to put you in your place!" he yelled._

_"Right back at you." Tonpa replied._

_"Seems our only chance is to fight." Killua said. I looked at him like he was insane._

_Run. I'd always been taught to run or hide. Then I realized I could fight. It was an option. I could do it. But fighting wasn't a good thing. Honestly, right now I just wished everyone would stop and settle things nicely!_

_Time. We just needed time. Why was it there, taunting me? I had too much of it, yet never enough. Just when it seemed to help me, it'd backlash and show me I was actually behind. I had no control over it. I couldn't stop it, I couldn't fix anything. And now everyone was going to fight and I felt like it was all my fault._

_And so I grabbed onto Crisei and held tight to his clothes and sobbed, shaking even though the tears would still not fall._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I was a complete mess. Everyone had finally calmed down thanks to Gon, but my eyes were still red and my throat and chest hurt. I didn't know friends fighting could hurt this much, but it did. Thankfully Gon had an idea, and as I worked on helping cut through the wall from the O tunnel into the X tunnel, it took my mind off of things. Crisei even made jokes as we all worked, lightening the mood.

However, it was taking too long. We didn't have enough time, and we weren't going to make it, even with everyone digging through the wall.

I could attempt Nami. If anyone asked I could lie and say it was an ability from my world. However...

'You should be careful with that, girl. It'll just get worse.' I shook my head and grit my teeth as I worked. I didn't want to have another coughing fit in front of them. Especially since we were almost at the end... And I didn't want them to worry. Maybe my Hatsu technique could replace both my Zetsu and the implosion force it 'accidentally' emits. But what kind of technique could I use that had both offensive and defensive attributes, while it also hid me and protected me?

I guess it was easier to come up with something than normal. I mean, I had taken the water divination quite a while ago. That definately helped, knowing what my Hatsu was. I'd have to contact Kai-san after the exams and tell him what I was. What I was also helped; I was a Specialist. It made sense... I mean, I _was_ from another world, so my aura would definitely be special. But thanks to that... Enlightenment, I am able to find something I can do with general ease, and hopefully it would be something that would be able to fit all my requirements.

So I let my mind wander through all forms of superpowers and characters, trying to think of something.

Invisibility...? No, that'd keep me hidden, but it wouldn't really protect me or help with my offense.

Elemental control? Again, no, I'd fear my abilities as much as they'd help me. Plus, they wouldn't hide me.

Shape shifting? Doubtful Nen could be used like that. Even if it could, I didn't see how it would replace Zetsu.

Teleportation? Again, nope. It might be useful, but for a fight? Not likely.

I could find something for each of the other categories. One power for each, something like that. They'd all share the same basic concept, just be used differently. In that case I'd need to think up five abilities with the same bases...

After the wall had been broken through we all hurried to get through it. I didn't know what to expect, and when it turned out to be a very steep slide I couldn't help but smile. Three minutes down a slide. Cool. And then we got to the end. Gon, Killua and I walked out, followed by Kurapika, then Crisei.

"Kurapika, applicant #404 is the twentieth to pass. Killua, applicant #99 is the twenty first to past. Basil, applicant #406 is the twenty second to pass. Gon, applicant #405 is the twenty third to pass. Total time, seventy one hours and fifty five minutes." The announcer, well, announced. I smiled. Just barely made it!

"My butt hurts… I didn't expect a slide for the short and easy path." Killua said, rubbing his back.

"I know, right?" I said. "It was so fun!" Killua just shook his head.

"My hands are covered with blisters." Kurapika complained as well.

"Same here." A voice said from behind us. We turned to see Tonpa and Leorio fighting to squeeze past each other and into the end.

"Leorio, applicant #403, is the twenty-fourth to pass. Tonpa, applicant #16 is the twenty fifth to pass. Total time, seventy one hours and fifty five minutes."

"My hands are blistered, but all five of us cleared the tower together. All thanks to you." Leorio ruffled Gon's hair. "Man I can't believe you came up with the idea on the spot!"

"We realized that we could break the walls, using the weapons. But it took fifty minutes." Gon said. I nodded.

"I'm glad you thought of that, Gon! Honestly, I was scared that things weren't going to turn out that good."

"Yeah, you were crying."

"Oh, shut up Killua. I wasn't crying."

"Yeah right." I just sighed.

"At least it got your all's attention so Gon could speak." Killua scoffed.

"So, Basil, can you tell us more about your world?" Crisei asked. A smile tugged on the corner of my mouth.

"Yeah, sure." And so we sat and taked until Lippo announced the end of the third phase.

"The third phase of the exam is over. Twenty five applicants have passed. One has died." And with that, big doors opened to the outside, letting sounds of nature and sunlight into the room. I grinned wide.

Now for the fourth phase.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations on having escaped Trick Tower. Only the Fourth phase and the final phase remain." Satotz, the purple haired man from the first phase, said.

"Two more…" A bald, male applicant said as well.

"The fourth phase will take place over there, on Zevil Island," the other examiner named Lippo said, jutting his thumb behind him at an island in the distance. "Let us proceed. I will need you to draw lots."

"Lots? For what?" One of the applicants asked.

"To determine who will hunt and who will be hunted." I cringed at that. I didn't like the sound of this phase so far... "In here are twenty five numbered cards. In other words, your ID numbers are on the cards. Now I need you to each draw a card, in the order by which you exited the tower. Will the first person come forward?" With that, Hisoka walked forward to grab a card out of the little black box in front of everyone.

One by one, everyone went. I waited patiently, curious at who I'd get. I looked at my tag in concern, then quickly hid it. I didn't want whoever pulled my number to know I was their target.

"Ne, Killua. He said something about hunting and being hunted. Does that mean we'll be fighting each other?" Gon asked.

"Yeah probably." Killua said. I gulped. I really, really didn't like the thought of this phase... I was against violence if I could help it. Hopefully I didn't get anyone I'd have difficulty with, and hopefully I could just scare them like I'd scared the gang members back in my world...

"Basil?" I looked up. Oh, it was my turn. I walked forward and reached in, then pulled out the card. As I walked away, I stared at it. It was blank. After everyone had gone, Lippo spoke up once more.

"Everyone's taken a card? Then, remove the seal from your card." I looked down at my blank card, then took off the seal. I stared at the number with wide eyes. _You've got to be kidding me..._"The card indicates your target. This box has recorded which card each of you drew. This means you're free to dispose of the cards if you wish. The objective is to steal your target's ID tag." Lippo said. I paused, taking in all his words, trying to understand. I was clutching my card anxiously, glancing around at everyone's name cards. Unfortunately, I didn't see whoever it was that my card belonged to.

"Oh, so we don't need to kill each other." One of the applicants said, somewhat relieved sounding.

"Naturally, you're free to use any method you choose, including killing your target and taking the tag from the corpse." I flinched. Shit no.

"That sounds like the fastest way." Onother one said. I took a step back. _I did not sign up for this._ My mind wandered. _What am I going to do? I won't fight anyone. I could, but I don't know what I am going to do! I didn't know how to deal with this! I'm scared at who got me... And I have no idea who I got. What if one of my friends has me? Or what if it is one of my friends I got...?_ I shook my head. _No, it couldn't be! I hope not! And what about Crisei? What'll he do for this phase and where will he go? I don't-_

"Basil, come on." I looked up to see Kurapika nudging me back to reality. Everyone was walking towards the boat. I followed. "It'll be alright," Kura said. "To make you feel better I didn't get you." I smiled. It did make me feel better.

"And my number is not you either," I said, smiling at him. After a pause I looked back at him. "Who did you get?" Kurapika just smiled a bit.

"#16." I tilted my head at him.

"Do you know who it is?" I asked. Kurapika looked at me a little surprised.

"You don't?" I shook my head.

"Didn't bother memorizing everyone's tags. I only know our groups since we were the last ones. I don't even remember Killua's..." I sighed. "Wait, no, never mind. I remember his now."

"#16 is Tonpa." I blinked at him, then laughed.

"Are you kidding me? That's so funny!" But Kurapika shut me up.

"I don't want him knowing I have him, or he'll run!" I nodded. After a pause, he asked me too. "Who'd you get?" I showed him my card. He thought for a second, then shrugged. "Sorry, I don't know who that is." I slouched.

"Dang." I paused. "Maybe Killua and Gon might know." I decided to explore the ship and look for them, but before I left I turned to my brother. "Eh, Kura, I spaced out. Did I miss anything important?" Kurapika sighed, then told me about the point system. I nodded as I listened, unhappy at this phase once again. When Kurapika finished explaining, I thanked him, then headed off. I found Gon and Killua sitting on the edge, leaning against the railing laughing. "Hey guys."

"Yo. What number did you draw?" Killua asked me with a grin. I sat down next to them. I smiled.

"Not either of you," I said.

"Don't worry. My number isn't you or Gon either," Killua said.

"And my target isn't either of you." Gon replied.

"Show each other our numbers at the same time?" Killua suggested.

"Sure!" Gon said. I nodded.

"Ready and… Go!" Killua, Gon, and I all held out our cards.

"#44 Is… Hisoka. Seriously? You have really bad luck…" Killua said to Gon. I stared at Gon in worry. I'd been there for their first battle. Hisoka was terrifying. I was barely able to defend against him... I could've died back there, Gon too, and now Gon had to get Hisoka's card? Damn. He was screwed.

I hated this phase more and more.

"You think so?" Gon asked. Killua nodded.

"I guess I just have to wish you the best of luck," I said with a sad smile.

"Who's #198?" Gon asked Killua.

"You don't know either? I didn't bother memorizing everyone's numbers. After the initial explanation, I started checking tags, but they were already hidden. That's so lame…" I nodded.

"Yeah, me too. I have no idea whose badge I got." I said. "I was hoping one of you might know." Both shook their heads.

"I have no idea who #281 is," Killua said. I nodded, then stood.

"Well, thanks anyway." Then I went to explore more and try and see if I could find who it was I was looking for.

I could rule out all my friends and Tonpa and Hisoka. They I didn't have to worry about aiming for. However, it was still possible Leorio, Tonpa, and Hisoka had my tag. I needed to remember that while I was hunting, I was also being hunted. But by whom? I had no idea, and it wasn't like I could go around asking everyone who they had.

"Hey Crisei. Leorio." I smiled at the two men. They smiled back.

"Hey Basil." Crisei replied.

"What's up?" Leorio asked.

"Not much," I started. Just checking what everyone got and if they know who it is I got."

"What number?" Leorio asked.

"You first." Leorio smiled a bit. "#?" I shrugged. I didn't know who that was either.

"I got #281," I stated.

"281..." Leorio repeated. "Hm..."

"I think it was that short guy," Crisei said. "But I'm not sure." I shrugged.

"Speaking of which, Crisei, what are you going to do for this phase. I'm not particularly looking forward to it."

"I don't know," Crisei replied with a shrug. "Though the whole reason I'm here is because of you, and now that I know what the real reason that captain wanted me to come along and help you is, I'm thinking I'd stay by you from now on. Just in case. Can't have you fall into a coma now, can we." He grinned, but his words made me frown. I was trying to keep my mind off that for now.

"Alright. So you're going to follow me?" He nodded.

"Good luck," I said to Leorio as Crisei and I walked off.

* * *

We were at the island. It was taking forever, but I was patient. One by one everyone got their turns, with two minutes of waiting time in between. I kept my eyes on the people around me, but my main gaze was on the short man who Crisei had presumed was #281. At least it was someone who I could possibly get their badge from. I wouldn't want to fight them if I could help it... Maybe just using my murderous Ren on him like I had with the gangsters...? Though the people in this world were much more resilient. I didn't know how this would turn out.

"It'll be alright, Basil." Crisei said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'll be there for you." I couldn't help but smile at the man. He was so kind.

"See ya." Killua said. I turned my gaze to him. It was his turn now.

"Oh, Bye Killua," I said.

"Bye!" Gon yelled as he walked off. I could feel Crisei wave next to me. I took a deep breath. After the two minutes pass, it'll be my turn. Then I'll have to go out there and hunt, while making sure to be careful. I was also being hunted. But by whom?

"Two minutes have passed. The twenty second person may start," the lady said. I nodded, then walked out, Crisei in toe. As we got out I looked back and waved at Gon, who was waving back at me. Then I took off into the forest like I was being chased by a demon.

* * *

**If you notice I put fifty five minutes they completed the trick tower instead of the actual fifty nine minutes. That is because Basil and Crisei were helping them break through the wall, so it went faster. Saved them four minutes.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Alright, here's the entire fourth phase so expect a long chapter! I had three more sadness quotes left, so two more chapters left of the Hunter Exam Arc! Then, onto saving Killua! Or will they? Mufahahahaha...**

**KonekoNoRenkinjutsushi - Yeah, the HXH fanfics I've read most of the time have them with one of the brothers, or an OC. I normally put the OC with that sniper he/she, but I was thinking of all the people participating, and how the actual story went, and who I could have her get and who would get her, without making the storyline screwed up, and I decided, hey, #281 is perfect. And keep reading, because the way she defeats her opponents is brilliant!**

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**"A tragedy need not have blood and death; it's enough that it all be filled with that majestic sadness that is the pleasure of tragedy." - Jean Racine**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_We were at the island. It was taking forever, but I was patient. One by one everyone got their turns, with two minutes of waiting time in between. I kept my eyes on the people around me, but my main gaze was on the short man who Crisei had presumed was #281. At least it was someone who I could possibly get their badge from. I wouldn't want to fight them if I could help it... Maybe just using my murderous Ren on him like I had with the gangsters...? Though the people in this world were much more resilient. I didn't know how this would turn out._

_"It'll be alright, Basil." Crisei said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'll be there for you." I couldn't help but smile at the man. He was so kind._

_"See ya." Killua said. I turned my gaze to him. It was his turn now._

_"Oh, Bye Killua," I said._

_"Bye!" Gon yelled as he walked off. I could feel Crisei wave next to me. I took a deep breath. After the two minutes pass, it'll be my turn. Then I'll have to go out there and hunt, while making sure to be careful. I was also being hunted. But by whom?_

_"Two minutes have passed. The twenty second person may start," the lady said. I nodded, then walked out, Crisei in toe. As we got out I looked back and waved at Gon, who was waving back at me. Then I took off into the forest like I was being chased by a demon._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Basil! Hey, Basil, slow down! Man, you're fast!" I paused, looking back at Crisei. I didn't want to say it, but having him with me was a bit of a liability... Though it was also nice, and it made me feel more, what was the word, secure? No, his presence made me feel safer.

"Sorry," I replied. Crisei just frowned at me as he bent down to catch his breath.

"No you're not." I just smiled.

"Let's get going, eh? We need to find my target."

"What? Why don't we just rest!" I sighed.

"Let's find water first, then we can rest." Crisei nodded, then the two of us took off once again. It didn't take us long, but we soon found water in the form of a stream. Though a stream wasn't good enough for me, and after a small argument with Crisei, which I won, we continued up the stream to find it widen into a river, then soon into a lake.

We decided to camp out there. Thankfully I'd already dealt with half of this phase in my world. I knew how to run and hide. I knew how to make it so no one knew I was there. Unfortunately Crisei didn't, so I had to teach him.

First, he and I dug a hole where we placed a bit of brush and sticks. We made a small fire to make sure it had heat, but it wasn't big enough to spread smoke. Then, I slept while Crisei kept watch.

..::Time Skip::..

"Hey, have anymore water?" Crisei asked. I shook my head.

"I can get more." Crisei nodded. I stopped walking and laid down, happy that I had my little trick. While others might struggle to find water, all I had to do was fall asleep, then fill up my two water bottles in the drinking fountain in the park. It was probably cheating, but still...

Whenever in my world, I had to make sure to keep my eyes out for the so called gang that I kept seeing, with their unmistakable bandanas, always watching me. I knew I didn't have long in this city, and I'd have to leave soon before they decided to take action again.

When I got out of view of people and hid in a spot I'd found, I fell back asleep to give Crisei his much wanted water.

I was a little surprised though. It'd only been ten minutes in my world, so only five in the Nen world. And already, as I woke, I heard yelling. I sat up groggily, looking over to where a man was fighting against Crisei. Crisei was just taking it, having no way to fight back, just standing there, defending me; using his body to block me. My eyes widened as my heart almost stopped at the sight of the man beating Crisei up. My body wouldn't move until Crisei fell to the ground, now being kicked by the man who was yelling at him. I finally sat up, eyes widened and mind racing at twenty miles an hour as I thought of nothing but how beat up Crisei looked, and how he was just trying to protect me.

Blood. Blood trickled down Crisei's mouth and bruises were forming on his skin.

And then, as I stood, then man finally turned and looked at me, a sneer on his face as he stared at my wide-eyed expression. His mouth moved, but I didn't hear anything as my vision blurred.

"Crisei..." I mumbled. Finally, my face turned into one of anger and I glared at the man, eyes narrowed and teeth grit in a snarl. "How dare you." I started forward as the man's face, which was once a sneer, was now terrified. He took a step back, then clenched his fists and got ready to fight me. However, as I reached my hand out to him, I let out my Ren in pure rage, full of malice and murder. The man froze in place, unable to move as he became too terrified to move, to think, to fight, anything. I walked closer and closer, until the man was ready to have a heart attack.

I simply reached into his bag and pulled out his badge. He wasn't #281. I scoffed as my Ren, completely exhausted, dispersed and the man fell to his knees. I went over and bent down, sweat beading down my face as I too was tired. My mind, not even registering anything around me, had my muscles move to pick up Crisei, adrenaline coursing through my body, as I walked away from the man and into the forest.

And then I had it. Barriers. Just like Crisei.

* * *

I set the unconscious Crisei down, leaning his head against the tree before falling down on the ground onto my back, brain finally starting to work through its gears once again and registering how tired my body was. I took several short painful breaths as my face squinted in pain. I licked my dry lips and felt beads of sweat fall down my face. My body was soaked in the sweat and I was exhausted. I'd used up all my Ren in that one attempt to do whatever the heck I did back there. Needless to say I wasn't doing that again anytime soon.

Instead I stared up at the leaves, waving back and forth in the wind. I had to admit, Zevil Island was a nice place, if we weren't fighting for our lives here.

My eyes closed and I took a deep breath, flinching in slight pain once again before making sure I didn't fall asleep. Instead, I just rested.

When I registered my surroundings again, the throbbing out of my head, I saw Crisei was up and moving around. He'd already dressed his wounds, which I felt terrible for not doing myself. I sat up with a groan, which brought Crisei's attention to me. He hurried over.

"You OK?" He asked. I nodded, then shifting to sit back against the tree. Crisei crossed his arms and lowered his gaze on me. "Alright then. Tell me what that immense feeling was. It was terrifying." He paused as I looked up at him. "I _know_ it was coming from you." I could see he was shaking slightly. Was my Ren really that scary? I must've been really pushing everything into it, not to mention must have been really angry.

But of course I was really angry! He hurt Crisei! Crisei was just protecting me while I was in my world, getting some water! The man could've been decent enough to wait until I was back, then challenge me or something! Crisei wasn't even taking the exam! I should be protecting him, not the other way around!

"Basil..." I turned with a glare at Crisei, then softened my gaze. "You're tensed up and shaking. Calm down." I looked down to see my knuckles white from clenching my hands into fist so hard. My body was beginning to stiffen and get sore from all the tense muscles. I sighed and relaxed, crossing my arms as well. "Basil, you just have to make sure to take care of yourself, kay? We don't want to have to worry too much about you. It's stressful!"

"Thanks." I paused, then continued. "I was just so upset when he hurt you... I kind of lost it." Crisei nodded.

"Alright. Well at least you got his badge and water. And so far, we're in luck. I think we're going to pass this phase."

"Yup!" Crisei and I shared a smile. At the beginning of this phase I debated on having Crisei hold my badge, but that was ruled out as I realized it would be safer on me. And then, I suddenly realized I could just hide it in my world, then no one could get it! And even if they tried to kill me, torture me, anything, they'd never be able to get it without me. I had a surefire way of never loosing my badge or my life. And now I had a way to get other's badges as well. Now I just had to find #281...

..::Time Skip::..

Alright, so here's the deal. This short man in the blue cloak skirt thing, which he apparently hates being called a skirt, is fuming right in front of me. I finally found the man, and he had no idea who I was. It was disappointing in the least, but after a bit of me telling him to give me his badge and I won't kill him, he challenged me to a duel. I dutifully declined. He issued the fight anyway and swung his sword at me.

I yelped and dodged, telling him he'd watch it or he might kill me. He just smirked as he swung at me again.

"That's the point! I want to become a strong hunter, and my dear, you're currently in the way. And unfortunately for you, you're my target as well." I just continued to dodge.

"But if you kill me you'll never get my badge..." I smirked at his grit frown.

"She's telling the truth," Crisei said from a tree. "If you kill her you'll never get them. Heck, even I won't be able to." This caused the man, I think he said his name was Agon, to stop trying to kill me. Instead, I just smiled at him.

"Now, if you give me your badge I won't kill you. I know you have it." As I said that I let out a little bit of my Ren, aimed straight at him. I could tell he felt it from the look on his face. But I could also tell all it had done was stall him for a second. But that was all I needed, as Crisei fell from the trees and landed behind him, successfully hitting him on the back of the head, making him fall unconscious. The two of us shared a smile, then I searched through his bag. Yup, he was number 281 alright. "Thanks Crisei," I said as I took his badge. He nodded.

"Don't mention it. Now what are we going to do for the rest of the week?" I shrugged.

"Well, first we need to find another place to sleep, then I can hide this badge and take the extra one for precautions." Crisei nodded, then the two of us headed off.

* * *

"Ugh, this place is full of roots. I'm going to trip one of these times," Crisei groaned. I just smiled, earning a frown from him. He shook his head.

"Oh, hey, there's water over that way. I hear it. You can take that 'bath' you've been craving." Crisei perked at the news and ran off, while I sat and waited on one of the roots. I sighed, then looked up at the sky. "Well, now I wait, I guess." A smile found its way to my lips and I closed my eyes, letting the cool air brush past me and wave my hair around.

"Yo. Basil." I opened my eyes and turned to see a familiar face. I smiled at the white haired kid, then hopped off the root and walked over to meet him.

"Hi Killua. How's your hunt been?"

"Could've been better," he replied. "Some guy's following me. I don't like it, he won't come out no matter what I say. I know he's there."

"Why doesn't he just come out and face you already? He can't ambush you if you know he's there. He's just wasting time."

"Exactly," Killua replied with a sigh. "Where's Crisei?"

"Oh, taking a 'bath' in the river over there," I waved a hand in the direction he went. "I'm just waiting for him to finish."

"Ah. So what's been going on with you?" Killua asked.

"Me?" I replied. "Well, I got one tag I don't need," I pulled it out. Killua looked at it.

"Not my number."

"Figured as much. I have my badge and my targets hidden in my world." Killua widened his eyes.

"You can do that?" I grinned.

"Yup! I've also been filling up Crisei and my water bottles up at the park. Easy water. Haven't gone thirsty yet!"

"Have any extra?" Killua asked, amazed. I nodded as I pulled out one of the water bottles.

"Plenty. Drink as much as you like, I'll just fill it up later."

"Thanks!" Killua said happily as he chugged the bottle. Afterwards he continued. "Man, that's cool you can use your world like that." I smiled sadly. I knew it was cool, but honestly I didn't like my world, and it was an annoying hassle I didn't need. Sure, it helped with this phase, but I felt like I was cheating, and I really wanted to just never have to go back. Having to live in two worlds, without actually living in either...

It wasn't even living.

It was like I was playing two games at once, and I knew that something was going to happen, and it would be bad. There was no pause button, and I couldn't help but feel that if I continued on like this without finding that pause button, there would be a time where on one screen I was fighting a dragon while on the other a hoard of bandits.

"Yeah, I guess," I said. But Killua frowned.

"You don't like your world, do you?" He asked. I shook my head.

Silence.

"Hey, that guy that's following you, what are you going to do with him?" Killua shrugged.

"Guess I'll fight him." Killua turned. I flinched.

"Is he your target?" Killua shrugged.

"Don't know," he replied, then continued forward.

* * *

**Alright, so it WASN'T a long chapter. Well, I don't mind. Anyways, I'm happy at how it turned out! Again, t****hanks for reading!**


	24. Chapter 24

**OK, end of the fourth phase and onto the 5th phase. XD**

**Lavendor Queen - I'm happy that you feel like that! I realized this is a perfect gateway point for me to bring out Basil's strength, and she just gets stronger from this point on! XD**

**KonekoNoRenkinjutsushi - Yup! That's right! Since he had that one part in the actual show, I decided to give him this little bit as well. XD And you didn't miss anything. I didn't write what extra number she got because it was a random dude. But you'll see what number it is in this chapter. Speaking of which, try and spot the importance of the extra number. If you can guess it I'll give you a prize! And I know what you mean, but as you read at the end of the previous chapter and with the little hints I've been giving with the gang, you can probably guess what I'm going to do to poor Basil next. And yeah, she has had a lot of bad things happen to her. If you continue on with me to the end of this fanfic and on to the sequel, you'll get your fill of feels. Oh yeah, speaking of her against violence... Haha, well, you'll see...**

* * *

**"Sadness flies away on the wings of time." - Jean de La Fontaine**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Yo. Basil." I opened my eyes and turned to see a familiar face. I smiled at the white haired kid, then hopped off the root and walked over to meet him._

_"Hi Killua. How's your hunt been?"_

_"Could've been better," he replied. "Some guy's following me. I don't like it, he won't come out no matter what I say. I know he's there."_

_"Why doesn't he just come out and face you already? He can't ambush you if you know he's there. He's just wasting time."_

_"Exactly," Killua replied with a sigh. "Where's Crisei?"_

_"Oh, taking a 'bath' in the river over there," I waved a hand in the direction he went. "I'm just waiting for him to finish."_

_"Ah. So what's been going on with you?" Killua asked._

_"Me?" I replied. "Well, I got one tag I don't need," I pulled it out. Killua looked at it._

_"Not my number."_

_"Figured as much. I have my badge and my targets hidden in my world." Killua widened his eyes._

_"You can do that?" I grinned._

_"Yup! I've also been filling up Crisei and my water bottles up at the park. Easy water. Haven't gone thirsty yet!"_

_"Have any extra?" Killua asked, amazed. I nodded as I pulled out one of the water bottles._

_"Plenty. Drink as much as you like, I'll just fill it up later."_

_"Thanks!" Killua said happily as he chugged the bottle. Afterwards he continued. "Man, that's cool you can use your world like that." I smiled sadly. I knew it was cool, but honestly I didn't like my world, and it was an annoying hassle I didn't need. Sure, it helped with this phase, but I felt like I was cheating, and I really wanted to just never have to go back. Having to live in two worlds, without actually living in either..._

_It wasn't even living._

_It was like I was playing two games at once, and I knew that something was going to happen, and it would be bad. There was no pause button, and I couldn't help but feel that if I continued on like this without finding that pause button, there would be a time where on one screen I was fighting a dragon while on the other a hoard of bandits._

_"Yeah, I guess," I said. But Killua frowned._

_"You don't like your world, do you?" He asked. I shook my head._

_Silence._

_"Hey, that guy that's following you, what are you going to do with him?" Killua shrugged._

_"Guess I'll fight him." Killua turned. I flinched._

_"Is he your target?" Killua shrugged._

_"Don't know," he replied, then continued forward._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I watched as Killua walked towards where I felt someone hiding. "You're wasting your time. I'll never give you an opening to attack," he said. After a second he continued. "If you're not gonna show yourself, I'll come for you." More silence as Killua continued forward. "What a pain... You're only one point to me."

"Eh, Killua," I said. He paused and turned to me. "I have that one point as well, then you only need one more point!" Killua smiled and nodded.

"I guess that works." Though, the next scene that unfolded made me tilt my head. Two people emerged. I was too far away to hear whet they said, but then a third popped up. So it was those three, the brothers... The one who was hiding looked nervous as the three chatted. Killua just waited. I just watched. Then, the third was kicked through the air by his brother. Then got beat by the two. I stood, about to intervene, when my body stopped me. Shit, what now?! Why wont my body move? Finally, the brother walked towards Killua. I took some steps back and sat down, watching and waiting, but still quite a bit nervous. Killua could handle himself here. I knew that, but still, I was quite against him killing the three. They were just trying to survive and pass the hunter exams, right?

The brother, after giving Killua a warning, kicked his foot out, sending Killua, hands in pockets, flying backwards. I stared at Killua. Was he... Playing with him? "You OK?" I asked him, not moving. I looked forward where a smirk was placed on the brother's face.

"Yeah. That kick didn't feel like a thing." Killua flipped up, back onto his feet. He pulled out a badge from his pocket. "Hm... Number 198, huh?" The brothers looked surprised as the one who'd kicked him searched through his pockets just to turn out empty handed. My eyes widened as well. Man, Killua was an... Extravagant pick-pocket. "Since it's one number off from the one I'm after, maybe #199 is one of your two buddies?" I nodded.

"Would make sense," I said, taking a bite of some bread I had stashed in my pockets. The three exchanged some words, then hurried around Killua in a triangle formation. I was so focused on Killua and his fight I didn't notice one of the brothers getting closer and closer to me.

"Eh, Basil, I'm ba-" Crisei, who'd just appeared, drying his hair with a towel he'd 'borrowed' from a nice lady in my world, was cut off as one of the brothers, who as Crisei brought my attention to him I realized was aiming to use me as a hostage, grabbed Crisei instead. My eyes widened as I stared at the two.

"Give up and give us both your badges or the guy gets it," the brother said. I could feel the tenseness from Killua.

"Why?" I asked as I stood. The brother opened his mouth, but before he could speak I finished. "Why does everyone go after Crisei? He's not even taking this damn exam!" I continued forward, but the brother just pulled the knife he was holding closer towards Crisei's throat. I froze.

"Don't move, or the man gets it. Now give me your badge." I stayed stone-faced, but Crisei started to snicker.

"You idiot, she doesn't-" Crisei was cut off as the knife drew some blood.

"Shut up."

Snap.

"No, you shut up. Let Crisei go right now or so help me I'll shove my foot up your ass so far you'll be picking my toes out of your teeth for weeks." I snarled, letting out my Ren. Man, I lost it again.

The man froze in place. His eyes widened as my Ren expanded, full once again of malice. I snarled at him. He was completely terrified, I saw it in his eyes. I could feel it from the others as well. Everyone, they were all scared of me. Killua, Crisei...

"Let. Him. Go." The man dropped Crisei, and Crisei quickly scooted out of there, all the while keeping his eyes on me. He'd experienced it before, so he wasn't as terrified as he could have been, but I could still see the poor man was scared and wanted to get away as soon as he could.

When Crisei managed to get out of there, I turned around as my Ren dispersed, only catching Killua's wide, completely terrified expression out of the corner of my eye, before turning away in shame and racing out of there.

* * *

"Don't move. My fingers are sharper than knives."

I didn't bother. I just stayed where I was, laying on the ground, having just came back from my world. I stayed silent as well, the only motion was of my eyes opening. I looked up to see the familiar silver hair of Killua, and his wide eyed, scared expression as he held his sharpened nails to my throat. I felt the sharp tips against me, ready to take my head off if I moved even an inch. My Ren must have scared Killua half to death. I felt kind of bad for him; but right now was not the time to be thinking.

"What was that?" I slowly opened my mouth.

"A trick I learned. It's easier than killing the person." I replied truthfully, keeping eye contact with the ex-assassin. I admitted it. I was scared. But I also knew, so was Killua. Was my Ren that impacting on him?

His hand slowly moved away from my neck. For a moment I thought he dropped the subject, but the look in his eyes, I knew he didn't. There was a blur of movement from the boy, and within a second of confusion he grabbed me and threw me around until I hit a tree. I didn't realize what was going on until I hit that tree. And when I did my eyes widened as I found out how serious he was. But before I could speak or make a sound of any kind I felt his hand close around my throat and pin me to the tree, feet barely touching the ground. I struggled a bit, trying to gain air, but it was no use.

"Don't f**k with me," he growled. My eyes widened as he drove his free hand forward, easily piercing my left shoulder and tearing through the top of my jacket and ripping my shirt.

"I'm... Telling... The truth..." I gasped out. _Why... I thought he and I were friends! Why would he-_ My eyes closed as I felt my mind spin from the lack of oxygen. I heard words come from his mouth, but I couldn't register what he was saying. I felt him grasp my arm, his sharpened nails easily tearing through my wrappings and carving into my skin. I couldn't help but think that this was the end, death by my own friend's hands. I guess this is what I got for trusting anyone.

I thought... I thought that being in a new world I could have a new life. I thought that I could actually get some friends and find a place where I could escape to and actually _live_. I didn't think I would be back in this situation. And least of all, I didn't expect it to be this boy, who I finally trusted, to end my life.

"I..." I felt a small bit of liquid trail down my cheek. _Say goodbye to Crisei and Gon... And big brother Kura... And even Leorio, please?_

Killua tossed my body down, and as I turned over onto my side, gasping for air, I stared at the ground, unable to meet his eyes. I felt him grab my wrist tight, pushing me onto my back. I didn't bother fighting back. He was a trained assassin. I was just a stupid little girl from another world.

But what surprised me next was the grip Killua had on my wrist loosened slightly. I felt the silence, and the threatening vibes were gone.

"Who." Killuas voice was different now. It lacked the cold edge that it had moments ago, now filled with something else. It was softer now, almost... Concerned. But he wasn't asking a question, no, he was demanding. I opened my eyes to see his white hair was almost brushing my face it was so close. His head was down and his eyes were locked on my almost bare chest. My jacket had fallen off my shoulders and my shirt, the left sleeve no longer attached, had fallen down to reveal the crisscrossing network of scars that covered my chest and arms, everything I'd been trying to hide. But I knew he was focused on the one right below my shoulder, right above my heart. A huge scar left by one of the last times my father had abused me. The one left by the knife he had used so many times to harm me. "Tell me who," he repeated, raising his head. I could clearly see his eyes now, ice cold yet filled with fire, no longer filled with fear.

When I didn't answer, he moved his body up so his face was right above me. I stared at him, eyes void of emotion as I knew he already knew the answer to his question. His eyes flickered slightly as he stared at me for a couple seconds, searching my eyes. He leaned in closer until his nose touched mine, but still, I didn't move.

Then he saw it as I stared right past him... That distrust in my eyes, distrust brought from his actions towards me. I saw him frown and sigh, then sit back up and pull me up to my feet. I stared at the ground.

"I'm sorry," he said simply as he put his hands in his pockets and started off. I continued staring at the ground, then looked up at the boy who was walking away from me. I messed with my clothes a bit, tying them until they were basically decent, then hurried after him, staying at least a bit past arms-length from him. He glanced back at me and I flinched, widening that distance to two arms length, before the two of us finally relaxed in the silence.

"Where's Crisei?" I asked slowly, not trusting my voice. unfortunately, it came out much more distrusting than I meant it to. I saw Killua flinch from the coldness in my voice, but he continued walking.

"He's waiting for us." Was all Killua replied. More silence. I let my mind wander, thinking about what had just happened.

Killua had just tried to kill me. But it wasn't of his own violation, right? He was just scared of me because of the Ren. So, it was really my fault. But he still tried to kill me. After that, I don't think I'd ever be close to trusting him ever again. Though I still felt bad for being the one who caused him to go berserk in the first place... _I guess I should apologize._

"Sorry... About before..." I said, biting my lip and turning my head away from the boy. Killua shrugged.

"Hey, just scared me a bit." I could tell something else was on his mind. I nodded, making sure not to make eye contact.

"Yeah... I'm still sorry." Silence. "I don't think I'll be able to fully trust you again after that." More silence.

"The feeling's mutual."

...

"So, what did you do to badge #111?" I asked Killua. He blinked back at me. I quickly turned away.

"You noticed?" He asked. I shrugged.

"I tend to notice when something's not on me that should."

"I tossed it," Killua replied smugly. I sighed. Figured.

I just shook my head. Killua smiled.

* * *

**Can you guess the importance of the extra number? I'll give you a prize if you can. It's so simple, you're going to face-palm.  
**

**ARG! YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS NOT TO LET THEM KISS? I was actually planning on it, but then I thought of how torturous it'd be to not let them. Haha, I'm crying, wow... I'm torturing myself... WHY?! DX**

**I'm really sorry for that. I kind of had to... I wasn't planning on it, it just... Happened. I'm sorry... But it's the start of what becomes their awkward relationship! XD Don't worry, they'll kiss eventually!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Alright, since I gave you those terrible feels, now I will get onto this _long_ chapter where the fifth phase happens, and something unexpected happens! It's something new I hadn't seen in any fanfics before, and honestly I thought this would be great and people would really enjoy this twist.**

**I'll post the answer to the previous question at the end of the next chapter to give people a chance to guess. You can guess as many times as you want! Don't worry, no answer is stupid!**

**ALSO! The quote for this chapter is from our dear Basil! XD**

**Liz - Yup! And don't worry, it's not that bad that it'll make you feel like a moron. Sure, it'll make you face-palm maybe, but not a moron.**

**basecannon - I know, right? And I was that close to making them kiss! Oh my goodness! DX And even if Killua did that to me, I'd be like, WTF, but I know him and he's not that kind of person... But yeah, I get what you mean. I kinda want to throw him into a pepper field, hahaha.**

**Lavendor Queen - I know, right! DX I felt so bad when I wrote that... But it has a reason! You'll see! I'm sorry I almost gave you a heart attack. Heart attacks are bad.**

* * *

**"Life happens whether you want it to or not. You were brought into the world by some small chance, and it was you who was born. There had to be some reason; some impact you put in the world. Or else why are you here? That's what I had to realize as life went on. And when you try to deny it, when you try to leave it all behind because you think your sad life sucks, think again. There's always something there. There's always someone who will help no matter what others say or do to fill your heart with sadness." - Basil Castus**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"I'm sorry," he said simply as he put his hands in his pockets and started off. I continued staring at the ground, then looked up at the boy who was walking away from me. I messed with my clothes a bit, tying them until they were basically decent, then hurried after him, staying at least a bit past arms-length from him. He glanced back at me and I flinched, widening that distance to two arms length, before the two of us finally relaxed in the silence._

_"Where's Crisei?" I asked slowly, not trusting my voice. unfortunately, it came out much more distrusting than I meant it to. I saw Killua flinch from the coldness in my voice, but he continued walking._

_"He's waiting for us." Was all Killua replied. More silence. I let my mind wander, thinking about what had just happened._

_Killua had just tried to kill me. But it wasn't of his own violation, right? He was just scared of me because of the Ren. So, it was really my fault. But he still tried to kill me. After that, I don't think I'd ever be close to trusting him ever again. Though I still felt bad for being the one who caused him to go berserk in the first place... I guess I should apologize._

_"Sorry... About before..." I said, biting my lip and turning my head away from the boy. Killua shrugged._

_"Hey, just scared me a bit." I could tell something else was on his mind. I nodded, making sure not to make eye contact._

_"Yeah... I'm still sorry." Silence. "I don't think I'll be able to fully trust you again after that." More silence._

_"The feeling's mutual."_

_..._

_"So, what did you do to badge #111?" I asked Killua. He blinked back at me. I quickly turned away._

_"You noticed?" He asked. I shrugged._

_"I tend to notice when something's not on me that should."_

_"I tossed it," Killua replied smugly. I sighed. Figured._

_I just shook my head. Killua smiled._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

So I had passed. I guessed that was good. I mean, sure, I was happy, and I was glad the others passed as well, but still, I wasn't feeling as great as I should have. Even though it had been a few days after the incident with Killua, which I made sure not to speak to Crisei about, the two of us were still avoiding eye contact and tried to stay away from each other if we could help it.

After Killua and I had found Crisei, Crisei and I took off to leave Killua to his own devises. The two of us just hung out near the entrance, waiting in silence for the phase to be over.

Poor Gon was so worried about me. Several times he'd asked me if I was OK, but I just blew him off by saying I was fine. He even got Leo and Kura trying to talk to me. It wasn't long till they'd figure out it had to do with Killua, who was too busy avoiding me to join in trying to 'talk'. And Crisei was no help, saying he had no idea. I wouldn't talk to him about it either.

Even Hisoka attempted to talk to me. As he saw my depressive state, he attempted to ask what was wrong, but I just ignored him. Even when he said he knew that feeling he'd felt was me, and that even though he was on the other side of the island he still felt those, I still ignored him. He hadn't bothered me since.

And now we were on another, or maybe it was the same, airship, headed towards the fifth and final stage. I hoped it would be a wind-down from the phase we just had, something more relaxing like a written test or something more with the brain than physical activity. I wasn't up to anything physical, not with all the action in the last phase.

A sigh escaped my mouth as the intercom, which had been calling people the entire flight, called me. I sat up from my spot on the stool and headed over to the door I was being called to. I reached my hand to the handle, but before I grabbed it the door opened and Killua came walking out. We both froze, then Killua walked away. After a second, I reached for the door and walked into the room.

Isaac sat there, at his desk, smiling. I smiled a bit at him as I walked over and took a seat. "So, Basil, how have you been?" I shrugged.

"Guess I'm getting the hang of things." He smiled.

"I see, I see." He paused. "I see you got into a little bit of trouble too." I looked over at my shoulder, where the blood-stained cloth was tied. I frowned, but didn't answer. Isaac only chuckled. "Well then, I have a couple questions for you. I'm quite curious at what your answer is, girl from another world. First, why do you want to become a Hunter?" I stared at him, then smiled.

"When I got here, Kai-san told me about the Hunters. At the time it seemed like a giant opportunity, I could become famous or powerful, instead of being a weak nobody."

"But you're not a weak nobody," Isaac replied. I frowned at him. I stared into his eyes, not sure what to do. Do I tell him the truth? Do I even trust him anymore? Is there anyone I can trust? The chairman shook his head, then continued. "Which candidate are you most interested in?" My mind flooded with all the applicants.

"In-interested in? What do you mean?"

"Who catches your eye, either in a good or bad way?" I scoffed.

"Killua." I paused, then continued. "And Kura and Gon I guess." The chairman nodded.

"Who do you want to fight the least?" I looked at him like he was crazy.

"Everyone."

"And who do you want to fight the most?" I grit my teeth.

"No one."

I honestly didn't know if that was a lie or not.

* * *

I took a hesitant step as I left the airship behind everyone. The chairman's words scared me, and I didn't like that feeling sinking in my stomach about this phase. It was even worse than the feeling I had before. Was this phase going to be that bad?

I hoped not.

I made sure to keep my eyes peeled on everyone as I stood to the side, somewhat awkwardly and shifting my feet cautiously. When Crisei came to stand next to me I made sure not to make eye contact and instead just made sure to keep my senses on him. I felt him sigh unhappily. I wasn't sure what to do anymore. Sure, I wanted to finish the Hunter Exams, but my mind was swirling with so many confusing thoughts I didn't know what to do, what to think, what to feel... I just wanted to punch something. No, I wanted to run and hide in my room, hug my pillow and fall asleep. Yes, fall asleep and dream for once. Slip away from reality and forget.

I wished to just forget.

As everyone got into the room and stood around, waiting for instructions, I smiled sadly at Menchi. She smiled back, then frowned, concern on her face. I looked away. She only cared for me because I could cook. Instead, I sat down by the wall and just listened.

"Well, gentlemen and Basil," I glanced at Isaac as he said my name. He smiled at me. I just sighed and looked away. "Did you get plenty of rest? This hotel is owned by the Hunter Exam Selection Committee. This place is all yours until the battles have concluded. For the final phase, we will be holding a one-on-one tournament. One win is all you need. The winners are removed from competition, while the losers continue up the bracket. In other words, the loser at the top will not pass. Does everyone understand now?" I raised my head as his words registered in my brain. Was he... Joking? One person here wouldn't pass.

"So you're saying that only one person will fail." The bald guy said, mirroring my thoughts.

"Exactly. And here is the bracket." I looked up, slightly curious where I was put. I was slightly surprised as Gon was the first to go. He would go against baldy, or Hanzo as his name was, then it was Kurapika against... Hisoka. Why I felt a pang of guilt, of fear, I didn't know. Did I still care for him? Maybe, I guess I did. I guessed I still cared for all of them, though I no longer trusted them.

Then after that, either Gon or Hanzo would fight the other younger guy named Pokkle. Then it would be either Kurapika or Hisoka against the older man named Bodoro. Then it would be Gon, Hanzo, or Pokkle against Killua. And then... Then I had to fight. Me against either Kurapika, Hisoka, or Bodoro. And if I lost, I'd have to fight against Leorio.

My thoughts continued like this... Until the chairman announced a little twist in the rules.

"There's a catch though." The chairman smiled. "You have to get your opponent to surrender." Then he went on to explain we couldn't knock them unconscious or kill them, and whoever surrendered lost. I shook my head. That made life easier. I thought I would lose, but now I knew I would definitely stand a chance. I just hoped I wouldn't be put up against anyone who might do more harm to me than I liked.

As the bracket stated, Gon and Hanzo went up first. When I saw them against each other, I didn't feel too bad, but now that they went out to face each other in the middle of the room, I got a lump on my throat. A fear, like before. Fear of knowing just who would win this. I could feel Hanzo's strength. Even though Gon had a lot of will, I didn't... I didn't know if he would be able to win this battle.

And then it started.

* * *

I crushed my face against the wall outside the building. I hugged the wall tight as I squeezed my eyes tight. However, the images wouldn't disappear. The pictures of Gon's pained face and broken limbs would not leave my mind, and the farther I pushed them away, the clearer and more vivid they were.

I couldn't stand it! I couldn't stand being in that room, and I wanted nothing to do with watching my- My- The people I've been with getting hurt! Gon was just the first. His fight could still be going on, or maybe it was over by now. I didn't know. All I knew was I wasn't going back in there until it was my battle. I couldn't stand seeing all that violence and pain, especially with Kurapika being next.

I fell to my knees, letting my forehead rest against the wall. Crisei had left long before I, having no reason to stay and having no will to watch any more than I had.

No one had even tried to stop me. I just ran out of there, and no one said my name or placed a hand on my shoulder to tell me that it would be alright, that all I had to do was close my eyes. Not like I would have stayed anyways. I couldn't _stand_ watching _or_ listening to that kind of torture...

So I waited, hearing the occasional noises from fights inside the building through the doors.

And then silence. I looked over as the doors opened to reveal Kurapika. "Hey, it's your turn," he said. I nodded silently.

"Did you win your fight?" I asked him.

"Surprisingly yes." I blinked at him in surprise. Hisoka didn't seem like the kind of person to surrender easily. I wondered what had happened.

Walking in I came to see Leorio arguing with the examiners, saying Killua should go first while Bodoro healed up. I looked at the poor man. So he was who I had to fight? Though I really didn't want to...

Eventually Leorio won his argument and Bodoro was let to rest while Killua went to face the creepy man named Gittarackur. I stared at the man. I had a bad feeling about this fight... Killua might actually lose. I was sure this man was a Nen user, and that was bad. I looked at Kurapika, pleading to get out of the room again with my eyes. I didn't want to see more pain. He nodded and I turned to leave, but before I could, the man named Gittarackur said something that made me stop.

"It's been too long, Kil." I turned to look at the man, who started to pull the needles out of his face. Suddenly, he was a different person. But what really got me, was the anxiety dripping from Killua, that fear like before. "Hey, I heard that you cut up Mom and Milluki." I stopped at that. They... They were brothers!

"I guess." Killua replied. I grit my teeth. It all made sense now. This older brother of his, I could just feel the dominance seeping off of him. He must have used his Ren on Killua to scare him quite a lot, maybe a training tactic for the assassins. That must have been why he was afraid of me. And now, for some reason, my fear of Killua softened, only to be replaced by pity and slight concern.

"Mom was crying." Illumi said, referencing his earlier comment. Of course she was, she was stabbed by her own son.

"Tears of joy." That made me almost fall. I stared at the two, the male's words spiking curiousity that wouldn't allow her to leave the room. "She was so happy to see that you'd grown up. But, she was worried about you leaving home, so she asked me to check up on you. What a coincidence. I didn't know that you wanted to be a Hunter. I'm trying to get a license for my next job."

"I don't really want to be a Hunter. I just felt like taking the exam." Killua replied to the long, black haired assassin.

"I see... That's a relief. Then I have some advice for you. You're not cut out to be a Hunter. You were born to be a killer." My eyes widened at that. My fists clenched to the point the knuckles turned white. I started to debate whether I should exit the room once more. I didn't like these words, and they were striking a cord in me that made me want to punch that creepy-eyed guy in the face. They reminded me of my parents, who'd said a similar thing o me quite a while ago. "You're a puppet of darkness, without passion. You don't want anything or wish for anything. As one who lives in the shadows, you can only have pleasure when people die. That's how Dad and I raised you. What would you accomplish by becoming a hunter?" And with that, I turned and left. I couldn't stand this anymore. If I stayed, I might interfere.

"True, I don't desire to become a Hunter. But, I do have something I want..." Killua said. I paused in curiosity, hand on handle, to the door, then shook my head as I grit my teeth and turned the handle.

"You don't."

"I do! There's something I really want!" Killua insisted. But I had already started to shut the door. The last thing I heard was a Hmm from Killua's older brother before I sat back against the spot on the wall. I didn't like this one bit...

And then I felt it. The Ren. It was very much like mine when I'm angry, but now... No, this was coming from that man. I was sure of it. And this wasn't just raged, this was just plain malicious, and directed. He knew how to use his Ren better than I. Though I only felt it for a second, and it wasn't that strong, I knew it must have been aimed at Killua. Killua must have gotten most of it, and that poor boy was probably so scared in there...

My heart thumped and I scoffed. Why was I so conflicting? One minute I hated him, the next I worried for him? It made no sense.

And now it was my turn. I'd finally have to fight. I didn't want to, really, and I already felt drained as I was. Bodoro and I faced each other, but one look at the man's eyes and I knew I'd already won. Before anyone could say anything, he'd surrendered. I stared at him in shock, then my eyes trailed to behind him where Killua had appeared. What was Killua doing?! Bodoro had noticed it as well, but before he could make another move, Killua jabbed him in the back.

I felt the blood on my face before I even registered Killua had killed the man.

* * *

I raced out the doors, mind racing as I was doing something I knew was too stupid for my own good. I panted slightly from the adrenaline and rush, racing after the slowly fleeting form of the white haired boy. As I reached him, his hand flung around my throat and pinned me to the wall. I stared at the blank expression in his eyes, then smiled even though Killua, once again, had me pinned.

"It's not your fault, right? Your big brother made you scared." I said softly. I felt Killua's grip tighten, then loosen as he dropped me.

"He's right. I'm nothing but a killer." With that said, he started off.

"No," I said, bringing Killua to a stop. "No, I used to think the same thing. My parents always said I was useless, but now I know that isn't true. I'm far from useless. And you're far from a killer. You're just scared, that's all." Killua scoffed as he started away again. I continued to follow him in silence.

"Why are you following me?" Killua asked with a touch of anger.

"Why not?"

"I was disqualified. You're going to miss out on your Hunter Licence." I shrugged.

"Friends are more important, right?" He looked at me like I was crazy. I smiled. "I don't care what your brother says, I'm your friend. We all are. I'm not letting you leave without me." Killua just smiled.

"Idiot," He said with a sigh, before grabbing my wrist and dragging me alongside him. "Hurry up." I smiled as I picked up the pace.

* * *

**Alright! Extra long chapter for the end of the arc! Haha, I surprised you, didn't I? :3**

**SO! I have the alternative scene for the last chapter, if anyone's interested. After I posted the last chapter I was just like, 'Now I WANT them to kiss...' So I wrote it. It will not be posted because it's just a stupid little scene cut, so if you want to read it you HAVE TO TELL ME. Either review or PM, I'll send it to you. XD**

**Oh, and did ANYONE notice in the last chapter, Basil actually cried? Yeah... She couldn't before. I guess you could say she's starting to heal!**

**Speaking of hurt and healing, I'm not able to sleep because of a pain in my back, and I can't seem to find a way to fix it. I really need the sleep, and it's really disrupting it. Anyone have any suggestions?**


	26. Chapter 26

**Alright, I'm sososososososo sorry I took forever to upload! I was really, really busy and didn't have any time! I have a few things to say first before you continue reading: 1) I can't believe people were still voting on the poll on my profile. I have finally taken it off, and people had still been voting, lol. 2) My back pain is gone! YAYZ! I went to a chiropractor (Which I am now terrified of, he basically molested me!) Unfortunately life was cruel and painful, but now I'm better! Or at least so, it's starting back up. Hope it'll be gone today... 3) Any ideas on things to do for fillers here? I've place some ideas in the new poll on my profile, but others are accepted. 4) CHECK THE LINK ON THE END OF MY PROFILE OUT! I DREW IT AND I LOVE IT!**

**Thank you everyone who gave suggestions to my back pain, it is very much appreciated! I'm so happy you all care. :') **

**Caliope07 - Yes. Well, you'll see...**

**Luna Lockhart - You're very welcome, I figured people would love this! It was a quick thought and I decided, yes, I shall do it, because no one had before and I thought it'd be interesting to do it like that. XD What lies ahead? Well, you'll see. (Honestly I can't tell you because I don't know... I normally write on a whim with a basic outline...)**

**kri - I'm glad! I try to update once I finish the chapter, and I write fast. Plus this is the only story I'm currently working on, and I'm not planning on working on any others until I finish this one, or else I'll never finish it, lol. I already have her Hatsu, I stated what it would be a couple chapters ago. But thanks anyways!**

**Liz - Haha, I figured! It was quite a surprise, and no one has ever done that before. XD  
**

* * *

**"Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream." - Khalil Gibran**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_I raced out the doors, mind racing as I was doing something I knew was too stupid for my own good. I panted slightly from the adrenaline and rush, racing after the slowly fleeting form of the white haired boy. As I reached him, his hand flung around my throat and pinned me to the wall. I stared at the blank expression in his eyes, then smiled even though Killua, once again, had me pinned._

_"It's not your fault, right? Your big brother made you scared." I said softly. I felt Killua's grip tighten, then loosen as he dropped me._

_"He's right. I'm nothing but a killer." With that said, he started off._

_"No," I said, bringing Killua to a stop. "No, I used to think the same thing. My parents always said I was useless, but now I know that isn't true. I'm far from useless. And you're far from a killer. You're just scared, that's all." Killua scoffed as he started away again. I continued to follow him in silence._

_"Why are you following me?" Killua asked with a touch of anger._

_"Why not?"_

_"I was disqualified. You're going to miss out on your Hunter License." I shrugged._

_"Friends are more important, right?" He looked at me like I was crazy. I smiled. "I don't care what your brother says, I'm your friend. We all are. I'm not letting you leave without me." Killua just smiled._

_"Idiot," He said with a sigh, before grabbing my wrist and dragging me alongside him. "Hurry up." I smiled as I picked up the pace._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I continued to follow Killua. I didn't know where we were going, but I could make my guesses. I'd seen what Killua had done back there, and I was still wary of him. However, I figured I'd give him a chance.

He'd seemed like a nice guy before, and honestly, after finding out that it was his brother's fault he was terrified of Ren, I was pretty sure it was my fault. I shouldn't have exposed him to it, so I guess this was me trying to make up for it.

Admittedly I was glad Killua let me follow him. I was afraid after him and I being tense with each other it wouldn't work out, but I was still happy. It kind of confused me. I was still scared of him, but for some reason whenever I was around him I felt... Something.

I shook my head. I needed to stop thinking. I was just going to confuse myself further.

"You OK?" Killua asked. I looked up at him, then smiled.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just curious where we're going."

"Home," Killua replied. I paused._ I thought he hated his home, his family? Why is he going there?_

"Why?" I asked. Killua shrugged.

"Just... My family is very... Intense. They won't be very happy I brought you along."

"You mean they'll try to kill me?" Killua frowned.

"Are you sure you want to come with me? I thought you didn't trust me." I scoffed.

"I still don't. I guess... I'm giving you another chance." Killua was silent.

"So, what's the real reason you can do that... Thing? It was like my brother." I looked at him.

"I didn't know you were so terrified of it. If I knew I wouldn't have used it. I... I learned it from Kai. Since I was from another world, he didn't want me to, you know, die." Silence.

"Who's Kai?" Killua asked.

"Kai-san. He's one of the first people I met when I can to this world. He's my... Adoptive father of a form. He was one of the people tho worked with the applicants for the preliminaries. I wonder where he is... I'll have to go and find him after things have calmed down. I kind of miss the sea..."

"Alright," Killua finally said after a bit. My shoulders fell as I relaxed slightly.

"I won't use it again. At least, not around you." Killua nodded.

More silence.

Man, this was awkward...

"So how long until we, um, get there?"

"We just left."

"I know, but I have no idea where you live, so..."

"It'll be a while. We'll have to catch an airship." I nodded. More silence. I guess it gave me time to think, but still... Sure, I liked the silence, because then I didn't have to talk, but for some reason it felt wrong, just walking without anything going on.

"Hey, we need to get you fixed. Come on." I looked at Killua with a weird face, then saw he was motioning to a clothing store. I smiled my thanks, then paused.

"But I don't have any money..." I said. He shrugged. "I'm not stealing."

"Then what's your size?"

"What?" I squeaked.

"What's your size? You're drawing attention with your clothes like that. If you're not going into the store I need your size."

"I don't approve of stealing."

"Who said I was going to steal?"

"I don't want you paying for me."

"Who said I was paying?"

"But-"

"Whatever. Do you want new clothes or not?"

"I do, but-" Killua grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me into the store. I groaned. I wasn't much of a shopper... But Killua was right. I had noticed people giving me weird stares, and I didn't want to attract the wrong attention. But how the heck would we get clothes?! And what did Killua mean by he wouldn't pay for them, but he wouldn't steal them?

* * *

"Thanks," Killua said as he ushered me out of the store, dressed in my new clothes. They were basically the same as before, maybe a few shades off and different fabric, but overall the outfit I'd gotten was the same. I was thankful to change out of my old clothes, I loved them, but still they had gotten ruined, and I was thankful for the new ones.

I sighed, though still smiled. "You said you weren't going to pay," I started at Killua. He shrugged.

"Yeah," he replied. "_I_ didn't." I blinked at him.

"Well then whose money was that?" I hoped he didn't steal from some poor old guy.

"What do you care?"

"I care a lot!" I replied. "I hope you didn't steal it from some old guy, 'cause that's mean!" I stuck my tongue out at him, but he just smiled. "What's so funny?!"

"You're finally coming out." I paused, eyes wide for a second.

"What?"

"You were all secretive and concealed before." I could almost hear his thoughts._ Because of your parents_. "But now you're starting to show who you really are." I pursed my lips and turned my head away from him slightly.

"What? I've always been this way." Killua laughed.

"Yeah right, before you were all silent and did everything like you were told. You took no one's side and agreed with everyone. You put yourself down all the time!" I looked at him in shock.

"R-really? That's how I acted?" Killua scoffed.

"Yeah. You seemed like one of those daddy's girls who did everything perfectly like a robot!" I bit my lip and looked down. Yes, I guess he was right. I had always acted like that, trying to do my best. I guess I was just selfish, trying to please everyone. But I remembered what Leorio and Crisei and everyone else had said... When you try to please everyone you loose yourself, and not everyone can be pleased. If you try to please everyone you're fake. No matter what you do you're going to upset someone.

"I guess..." I mumbled.

"There you go again!" Killua said. I looked up at him but before I could look away his gaze caught mine. Finally, after a second, the two of us turned away from each other. There was silence until Killua sighed. "Come on, we're going to miss the airship." I nodded, then ran after him.

We continued in silence for a while on, not sure what to say to each other. I decided to stare at the booths and buildings around as we walked on, somewhat amazed at how similar, yet totally different, everything was.

"You know, I've always wondered what the exchange rate is with the currency in my world and your Jenny. I thought I figured it out, but I could be wrong." Killua glanced at me.

"What? Oh, yeah. I don't know. Is your currency called Jenny too?" I shook my head.

"No, it's called US Dollars."

"What a weird name. What does the US stand for?"

"United States," I replied. "That's the country I live, well, ish, in. We have seven continents, but all the countries in each continent have their own currency. It's quite annoying when you want to travel." Killua whistled.

"And they're all dollars?"

"No, there's also pesos and euros and yen, the name changes according to the currency." I smiled at Killua's bewildered look.

"Man, what a nuisance." Killua paused. "Hey, what's a drink cost for you?" I looked at Killua, slightly puzzled.

"What?"

"A drink, a can of soda."

"Oh, like $1.50 out of a vending machine?" Killua thought for a second, then his eyes seemed to widen.

"What? It costs like 150 Jenny. That makes life easy." I nodded. An easy figure. "I guess just put the decimal over two or something."

"Yeah, I guess."

"That means people in your country are rich." I blinked at Killua.

"What? Oh, I guess." Killua smiled.

"Better not tell Leorio, he'd be pretty-" Silence. Killua frowned as he looked to the ground. I scratched the back of my head, eyes planted on the ground.

"Yeah..." More silence. I glanced over at Killua. He looked pretty sad. "Hey, ignore what creepizoid said, OK? The past is the past. Nothing changes between friends. They- we all knew you were an assassin. We all chose to stick around with you, it was our choice." Killua mumbled a little yeah. I sighed, looking up at the sky. "I should know. I've been so afraid of others, loosing trust and getting betrayed, all the abuse I went through, yet I'm here now because I feel that you are someone who I can actually... Trust." I turned away. "I mean, you seem like a fun, nice person. And I don't care what you've done, it's how you'll be in the future."

More silence.

I glanced over to see Killua turned away from me. "Man, why you got to be so cheezy?" I smiled as he tried to hide the small tears in his eyes.

_You're welcome, friend._

* * *

**Well, this entire arc is going to take a while, just to warn y'all... Since, well, you know, I decided to switch things up a bit. :3**

**HOWEVER! I apologize, but since it's not following the storyline(ish) here, it took me a while to get this written (Plus with being busy and all), and it'll be the same with the next few chapters or whatnot. It'll take me a bit longer to write. Hopefully you are patient readers.**

**So the answer to the badge...? The number was 111. January 11th? The first day she arrived in the HXH world? XD**

**THERE'S A NEW POLL ON MY PROFILE! CHECK IT OUT!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Wow, almost an average of 4 reviews per chapter... XD Almost 100 reviews, 70 followers, 55 favorites, and over 10,000 veiws! So excited! I'm so happy you all love my story so much, really, it means a lot! It inspires me to write on, write more, and write faster!**

**Alright, next chappie! XD  
**

**Arcana The Wolf - I'm glad you're happy! Ah, yes, I'm just a fast typer. ^^; But yes, yes, I'm alive! XD I'm still here! Just was busy! XD Thanks for the idea! It was a nice one! :P**

**basecannon - XD Yes, I am happy with Killua here. He needs the love ;-;**

**Liz - Me, normally. ^^; Thank you, you're welcome! XD**

**Guest - Well she already stated that she couldn't bring other people with her to her dimension... ^^; But maybe!**

**kri - I'll try! I too am curious... :P**

**GracefulLeopard - Haha, I'm glad you like it so much! I always love it when people like my stories like that. :P I'm sorry, but I'm going to mess with your feels more and more. And then when you think it can't get any worse, I'm going to make it worse, :P Thank you! **

* * *

**"When you have a dream that you can't let go of, trust your instincts and pursue it. But remember: Real dreams take work, They take patience, and sometimes they require you to dig down very deep. Be sure you're willing to do that." - Harvey Mackay**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"You know, I've always wondered what the exchange rate is with the currency in my world and your Jenny. I thought I figured it out, but I could be wrong." Killua glanced at me._

_"What? Oh, yeah. I don't know. Is your currency called Jenny too?" I shook my head._

_"No, it's called US Dollars."_

_"What a weird name. What does the US stand for?"_

_"United States," I replied. "That's the country I live, well, ish, in. We have seven continents, but all the countries in each continent have their own currency. It's quite annoying when you want to travel." Killua whistled._

_"And they're all dollars?"_

_"No, there's also pesos and euros and yen, the name changes according to the currency." I smiled at Killua's bewildered look._

_"Man, what a nuisance." Killua paused. "Hey, what's a drink cost for you?" I looked at Killua, slightly puzzled._

_"What?"_

_"A drink, a can of soda."_

_"Oh, like $1.50 out of a vending machine?" Killua thought for a second, then his eyes seemed to widen._

_"What? It costs like 150 Jenny. That makes life easy." I nodded. An easy figure. "I guess just put the decimal over two or something."_

_"Yeah, I guess."_

_"That means people in your country are rich." I blinked at Killua._

_"What? Oh, I guess." Killua smiled._

_"Better not tell Leorio, he'd be pretty-" Silence. Killua frowned as he looked to the ground. I scratched the back of my head, eyes planted on the ground._

_"Yeah..." More silence. I glanced over at Killua. He looked pretty sad. "Hey, ignore what creepizoid said, OK? The past is the past. Nothing changes between friends. They- we all knew you were an assassin. We all chose to stick around with you, it was our choice." Killua mumbled a little yeah. I sighed, looking up at the sky. "I should know. I've been so afraid of others, losing trust and getting betrayed, all the abuse I went through, yet I'm here now because I feel that you are someone who I can actually... Trust." I turned away. "I mean, you seem like a fun, nice person. And I don't care what you've done, it's how you'll be in the future."_

_More silence._

_I glanced over to see Killua turned away from me. "Man, why you got to be so cheesy?" I smiled as he tried to hide the small tears in his eyes._

You're welcome, friend.

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I sat on a seat next to the window, staring down at the scenery below rushing by. It was a little hard to see, we were up so high and everything was so small. "Wow, it's like an airplane," I mumbled.

"What?" I looked over to see Killua, resting his head back.

"Oh, nothing. Just remembering something from my world. It's so funny how similar our two worlds are, yet so different." Killua nodded.

"It's still hard to think of you being from another world," he said. "I mean, you're body never leaves, it's just like you're sleeping." I nodded.

"Honestly, even _I_ don't know what to think anymore. I mean, I- everyone in my world thinks we're the only ones, and if there is someone else out there they are on another planet far away. This is like another dimension, I don't know _where_ this world is from mine." I started to chuckle. "To think I'm here because of a wish that just happened to impossibly come true."

"But it saved you, didn't it?" Killua asked.

"I guess. Otherwise I'd still be with- back in the situation I was in before."

"Speaking of your world, are you going to check on your, er..."

"My other self?"

"Yeah."

"I should." I paused. "Who knows what has happened since I've last been there." I glanced at Killua for a second.

It was true I hadn't been back in my world for a bit. I wanted to blame it on just lack of time and availability, always on the move with Killua. I had no time to go. But I knew I was just kidding myself. Honestly, I still didn't quite fully trust Killua. In the back of my head, there was a little voice whispering words of doubt, unconsciously making me stay alert around him. It wasn't that I didn't have time to go, it was that I was afraid of what Killua would do while I was gone. I wanted to have nothing to fear, but that voice kept stopping me, kept me from relaxing. I wanted to trust him fully, but I was still afraid.

But I guessed that without trying, I'd never get to see what would happen.

So I turned away from him and closed my eyes, relaxing and letting my body slip.

* * *

My eyes flung open as pain slowly then suddenly ripped through my veins, making me want to cough up blood and gag. I could feel the wounds encasing my body, my blood dripping down my arms and legs. I gasped as I tried to take a deep breath as my eyes started to adjust, seeing come into view two unmistakable faces, plus many more surrounding me from a distance. The two boys had looks of slight bewilderment on their faces as they stared at me. I knew they were looking at my clothes. I could feel my previous pair had been torn up by them, but now it was my fresh new clothes which had come over with me I suddenly wore, just starting to get blood stains on them.

"Well, the b***h finally woke up," the older of the two brothers spat in my face, eyes tracing up and down my bloody body. I coughed a bit. "So, remember us?"

"Yeah, the idiots from that gang, uh, radioactive or something?" I mumbled.

"Biohazard," the younger brother growled, face buried slightly in the bandanna around his neck. I spat out some blood onto the ground, ignoring their threatening tone.

"Same difference." I said.

"There's a big difference!" The older brother yelled. "Biohazards are materials that can be dangerous if you are exposed to it while radiation is dangerous energy released by nuclear material and some machines!"

"Wow, you're smarter than I thought," I replied. Honestly, I was just trying to distract them for a while until my Ten worked to heal my wounds. Sure it wouldn't heal them too fast or all the way, but any stall was helpful in the long run. He smacked me across the head, causing my neck to wretch sideways.

"Shut up." He growled. "You're little tricks won't help you anymore!"

"Tricks? What do you mean?"

"Shut up!" The younger brother yelled, punching me in the gut. I flinched back, gritting my teeth and squinting my eyes shut. It wasn't that bad. I'd dealt with worse, but this was still a bit scary. I tried not to show it, but I was panicking inside. I was still losing blood, and I had no idea what to do. Tricks? They probably meant my Ren. I could withstand it for longer, but still I was weak and had no idea how long I could put it up for, _if_ I could activate my Ren at all. I was in a dangerous position, and I currently had no defense against them. Even my Ten, which would normally be protecting me enough in this situation, was wavering. Ten didn't protect against weapons, and while I was 'away' my Nen was nonexistent. I was almost at my limit.

I looked up and glared at the two. They flinched, but when they felt no Ren, they relaxed. The two brothers looked at each other, then smiled as they looked back at me. "Ha! See, you're no threat!" I sighed, managing to activate my Ren for a second in annoyance. The two went pale, flinching back slightly. My head drooped as my eyes threatened to shut.

_No,_ I thought. This was bad. If I fell unconscious I would go back to the Nen world, _if_ I even could in this situation, and in this situation I might die. I didn't want to figure out what would happen then. _What do I do?_

I saw them reaching for me out of the corner of my eye.

And I panicked as I set off my Nami.

* * *

I coughed as I fell onto my hands and knees. I hadn't meant to... I just panicked. I couldn't stop myself...

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." I started crying and hacking, eyes closed as I puked out blood and bile. I sniffled as my body ached with pain and the blood had only started to stop seeping from the wounds covering my skin. I felt completely drained, ready to pass out any second. I felt sick, cold, alone... I was in such pain. It hurt to move. I had managed to drag myself out of the hideout, out of the blood stained walls and agony, only to leave a trail of blood behind me as I laid against a wall trying to get my strength back. But whenever I got some energy back, more seemed to leave my body. I closed my eyes as I tried to calm, but my shaking and the stenches all around me continued to remind me of this pain, reminded me of the blood dripping out of my mouth as I coughed.

I hadn't meant to kill them. Really, I just wanted them away. I wanted them to stop, to just leave me alone. But they were weak, they were too close to me when I activated my Nami. Hisoka had warned me about it. He'd warned me that it would be worse. And this was the last straw. I didn't think I could use my Nami again unless I was at full strength. And even then...

I shivered as I pulled my arms close to my body and curled up into a ball. I was cold in this stone paved alleyway in Markham. I was exhausted and hurt, and my eyes were drooping, ready to close. I wondered how long I could last.

The two boy's faces flashed into my mind and bile rose in my throat once again. The looks on their faces, that unmistakable fear on their face and the impending doom they knew was coming for them. I remembered the look in their eyes, the knowledge they were going to die, that they had bitten off more than they could chew. The knowledge that whoever I was, Baise, Basil, Gretchen or otherwise, had knowledge of a power they could only dream about, that they had messed with and forced me to use. And then the terror as the force exploded against then, flinging them to bits and killing them; leaving them in a pool of blood, faces shredded and bodies ripped, still holding those painstaking looks on them.

I shivered again as the sick feeling continued, then finally subsided. "I'm so sorry..." I mumbled as my vision blurred, stained red from the blood that dripped into my eyes.

* * *

**DX I woke up and almost had a heart attack. Apparently my Hidan Scythe cosplay weapon fell over in the middle of the night. It decided to settle right in front of my face. DX Scared me half to death, just sat there in the dark. All I could see was those three red tips until my vision adjusted. So scary.**

**So I realized... 70 followers and 55 favorites... which 15 are following this story and haven't favorited it already? Not that I'm mad, just curious. XD**

**No love for 'Scamming the Assassin' or 'Electrified'? They're one of my new one-shots and a poem, and only 400 views with one review each... I thought they were funny and well done, but... If anyone's interested in checking them out. :P**

**Guess what?**

_**I'm making an AMV.**_

**Not a normal AMV either.**

**This one's a fanfic AMV.**

**Specifically Basil. :P**

**But that means I have to draw everything. ****I don't mind, it looks awesome so far. XD ****Anyone want a message or something when I finish it and get it up on Youtube? Should be within a month.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Sorry for the slight cliff hanger. Not really. :P Man, so much math I have to do for this story! I have to keep the timelines in synch time-wise, and make sure to keep track of it all! It's quite annoying, but makes me able to think of better things, I guess. It also makes life easier in a way, like I know how much time has passed for a filler so I can easily write the other world. Like this chapter for example; around 30 minutes passed in the previous chapter, which means only 15 minutes have passed for Killua. Easy task! XD**

**Arcana The Wolf - I will make sure to PM you with a link! XD It didn't feel fast to me? IDK, I guess because all the votes in the poll are helping me think and it was supposed to be longer but I cut it off there. :P I'm glad my near death made you laugh. XD I hope your dad wasn't to angry with you. I know my parents get angry when I wake them up before they want to get up.**

**GracefulLeopard - AMV stands for Animated Music Video. Normally for an AMV you take clips from a favorite show and put them together to a song, but since mine is for this fanfic I have to draw EVERYTHING and animate it myself, then put it to the song. :P Oh no, I think you're the one who did. Thank you XD And wow, I didn't know the next scene was that predictable. Well, I suspected, but not that people would possibly get it basically spot on. :P**

**Zeladious - Yup, THE Hidan Scythe. Made it myself. XD I also have a zanbatou sword and a broadsword and Temari's fan. XD**

**Liz - I will make sure to tell you!**

**kri - Yes, but only once she travels back.**

* * *

**"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_I coughed as I fell onto my hands and knees. I hadn't meant to... I just panicked. I couldn't stop myself..._

_"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." I started crying and hacking, eyes closed as I puked out blood and bile. I sniffled as my body ached with pain and the blood had only started to stop seeping from the wounds covering my skin. I felt completely drained, ready to pass out any second. I felt sick, cold, alone... I was in such pain. It hurt to move. I had managed to drag myself out of the hideout, out of the blood stained walls and agony, only to leave a trail of blood behind me as I laid against a wall trying to get my strength back. But whenever I got some energy back, more seemed to leave my body. I closed my eyes as I tried to calm, but my shaking and the stenches all around me continued to remind me of this pain, reminded me of the blood dripping out of my mouth as I coughed._

_I hadn't meant to kill them. Really, I just wanted them away. I wanted them to stop, to just leave me alone. But they were weak, they were too close to me when I activated my Nami. Hisoka had warned me about it. He'd warned me that it would be worse. And this was the last straw. I didn't think I could use my Nami again unless I was at full strength. And even then..._

_I shivered as I pulled my arms close to my body and curled up into a ball. I was cold in this stone paved alleyway in Markham. I was exhausted and hurt, and my eyes were drooping, ready to close. I wondered how long I could last._

_The two boy's faces flashed into my mind and bile rose in my throat once again. The looks on their faces, that unmistakable fear on their face and the impending doom they knew was coming for them. I remembered the look in their eyes, the knowledge they were going to die, that they had bitten off more than they could chew. The knowledge that whoever I was, Baise, Basil, Gretchen or otherwise, had knowledge of a power they could only dream about, that they had messed with and forced me to use. And then the terror as the force exploded against then, flinging them to bits and killing them; leaving them in a pool of blood, faces shredded and bodies ripped, still holding those painstaking looks on them._

_I shivered again as the sick feeling continued, then finally subsided. "I'm so sorry..." I mumbled as my vision blurred, stained red from the blood that dripped into my eyes._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

**Killua POV** (Because I can)

I stared out the window absent-mindedly. It was a little boring without Basil to talk to. I mean, I still didn't quite trust her. She was able to do the same thing as my brother. I had many suspicions about her, but she didn't seem like a bad person. But that didn't mean she wasn't, but who knew. I didn't sense any lies from what she said... But she could still not be what she says she is. Though I felt like I should warn her about a few things about my family just in case. Didn't want them to up and kill her like that.

I let a sigh escape my mouth. Why did she even follow me anyway? She was so stupid! My family would probably kill her on the spot, yet she still came! Girls, they're so stubborn.

My thoughts travelled to the scars on her body. Her parents must have inflicted many of those. Sure, I had many scars too, but they were finer and less visible. Hers were jagged and broken, large and painful looking. I'd never seen anyone with that many scars like that before. It wasn't something you could fake either. Those were real scars and burns and bruises from years of torture. I could understand why she hated her parents so much. I guess she was a lot like me.

But at the same time, she was nothing like me either. I was a trained assassin from a famous family; she was a commoner from another dimension. I was born to kill; she was born a mistake. I guessed Illumi was right. He had said that back at that last phase.

* * *

_Flashback_

_"I do! There's something I really want!" I yelled at Illumi. I wanted to show him, to prove to him I really did want something. That I wasn't a puppet like he said. I was my own person!_

_"Tell me what it is you want." Illumi replied. I looked down and clenched my jaw, unable to speak. I didn't expect him to ask me so forwardly... I didn't know what to say. There really was something I wanted, but... "What's wrong? There's nothing you really want, is there? "_

_"That's not it!" I replied quickly. "I want to be friends with Gon and Basil... I'm sick of killing people... I want to become friends with Gon and Basil, and to live a normal life..."_

_"That's impossible. You'll never be able to make friends. Your only concern when you meet someone is whether you should kill them. That's how you were trained. You just don't know how to classify Gon because he is too dazzling for your eyes. You may see similarities between you and Basil, but that's all they are. You and she are nothing alike. You dont actually want to become friends with them." Illumi said._

_"You're wrong..."_

_"If you stay with them, you'll end up wanting to kill them one day. You'll get the urge to see if you can kill them or not. Because you have the soul of a killer."_

_End Flashback_

* * *

I grit my teeth as I stared at the ground. No, he wasn't right! I would prove it to him! I would become friends with Gon and Basil! But those last words kept going through my head. Would I eventually try and kill them? No, I couldn't! I was nothing like the rest of my family!

I glanced over at the girl, head laid over, laying on her side on the cushiony bench. She honestly looked like she was just sleeping, but I knew better than that. She would never wake until she came back from her world. She looked so peaceful...

A grin spread across my face as an idea instantly formed in my head. I pulled out a sharpie from one of the seat pockets and hurried over, crouching in front of her face. I pulled off the sharpie cap and raised it to her face when I paused, frowning.

Blood.

I smelt blood. Coming from Basil? Impossible, she'd just been sitting here.

Unless...

No, she said things didn't transfer over until she woke up. I ditched the sharpie. "Basil?" I wearily spoke, poking her slightly. No answer. I moved my finger to poke her face this time, leaning forward a second. Her face moved slightly from my touch. I shrugged, thinking it was just her starting to wake up, about to walk away when a speck of red was spotted in the corner of my eye. I glanced down at Basil, seeing a bit of blood start to drizzle from her mouth. "Basil!" I rushed back over, moving her into a more supporting position. "Shit, what happened?" No answer. Was this happening to her even though she wasn't here? What was going on in her world? Had her parents found her? Was she going to die?!

Ugh, why did I care so much? She'd be fine, she had to be! "Basil, wake up!"

* * *

**Back to Basil's POV**

"Basil, wake up!" I groaned, moving my head as my eyes flickered open. Man, it was way to bright in here.

"Hey, can you dim the shades?" I took a deep breath and flinched in pain. My ribs hurt, but at least I was alive. I could feel an arm under my head supporting me. I knew it was Killua, who else would it be? I ached in pain all over, I could barely move. My eyes flickered open slowly to see Killua's face and my heart almost lodged into my throat. He looked so worried...

"What the hell? Basil, what happened to you? You're suddenly bleeding!" I managed to sit up despite my injuries. But a pained groan had to escape my lips. "And your eyes are all bloodshot!" I chuckled slightly at his concern.

"Heh, bloodshot. Yeah, some blood dripped into them." I paused as I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"What happened? Your parents?" Killua was looking around. I wondered what for. Maybe because I was suddenly bleeding, he was checking to see if there was anyone in the vicinity. I shook my head, then grit my teeth in the pain.

"No, some gang that hated me. I-" I cut myself off suddenly. After my pause I continued on. "I was so scared, I thought I was going to-" I turned my head away from him, not wanting to meet his gaze for a while.

Silence.

"Come on, we need to get you cleaned up or people will freak. At least there's not many people on the airship, maybe just a few." I didn't answer. I looked up as I felt Killua's arms start to wrap around me, then I yelped as he picked me up bridal style.

"Hey!" I complained, but I was in no position to physically attempt to escape. I sighed angrily as he started off. I glanced up at his eyes for a second and saw- Worry? No, deeper than that. More like an empathy, like he could feel my pain, see it in my eyes. He was concerned for me, but why? I had thought he didn't trust me. I smiled at his actions and shook my head as I instead focused on my Ten, that comforting, concealing feeling that had come back a bit ago. I was so close to dying, so weak, but calming and focusing on my Ten helped save me. And now I had enough strength to have my Ten stay strong, without wavering all the while. It had become a habit a long time ago, to keep my Ten up even when not paying attention. So now I no longer had to pay attention to it, but I still loved that comforting feeling that came with it. It made me feel safe.

My eyes opened as Killua lifted me up and set me on a counter. I looked around then, realizing where I was, my face turned bright red like a tomato. "K-Killua! We're in the men's bathroom!"

"Yeah? We need to get you cleaned up. I'm NOT going into the girl's bathroom."

"But what if someone comes in here?" I panicked at the thought. "It'd be so embarrassing!" Killua shrugged at that.

"There's hardly anyone on the airship, let alone in this area. They'd probably use the other bathroom." My eye twitched at the response given, and I sighed angrily at the sight, clenching my teeth.

"I hate you." Killua smiled for a second, then frowned as he grabbed some paper towels and wet them. Afterwards he stared at me for a second, frozen. "What?" I asked, slightly nervous. I averted my gaze from him in nervousness.

"How are your clothes not destroyed?" He asked as he reached for my leg._Oh, so that was what he was looking at._ I slowly calmed my nerves.

"I don't know. Honestly, I'm thankful. Just... Things happen, my head hurts so I don't want to think about it." Killua shrugged as he started to unwrap my wrappings on my legs. I flinched, my heartbeat rising in fear. I was very uncomfortable with people seeing my scars. That's why I covered myself up all the time. "Hey, I can do it..."

"No, it's fine. I got it." I was a little worried. I was starting to panic as he tossed the wrappings into the sink. _Shit, I need to calm down. He wouldn't hurt me, if he wanted to he would've already!_ I took a deep breath as I stared instead at the ceiling. I finally closed my eyes and just relaxed. "I'm done. Here, I'll get your arms." My eyes flung open and I stared at the silver haired boy. He'd already finished? I stared at my legs to see all the dried blood that was caked on my legs was gone, and now all that was left was my really pale skin and the scars.

"O-OK." I reached my arms out and Killua quickly unwrapped them. I let my jacket fall off my shoulders and he put it into the sink as well. Then he started to wipe the blood away and clean the wounds, a determined and angry look on his face. This time I stared at him as he speedily worked. I barely felt it. He was good at this. "Have you done this a lot?" I asked. He glanced at me, the furious look on his face dissipating for a second.

"I guess." He shrugged, then threw the bloody towels away. After a second he spoke again. "So a gang did this to you?" I nodded, a pained look coming over my face. I turned away from him.

"It's no big deal."

"No big deal?" He growled. "Screw that." My eyes widened for a second as I glanced at him, then turned away again. "If I could go to your world I'd slit their throats and throw their bodies to the tiger wolves." I flinched at the very thought, hopping off the counter then. I stumbled for a second, but managed to get my balance in order as I grabbed my clothes.

"I-I'm sorry." I said as I bowed at him and ran out of the bathroom and into the girl's. I placed them into the sink and ran the water, then started scrubbing them to get the blood out. I sniffled, then looked up and into the mirror to come face to face with a girl I barely recognized anymore. Her skin finally getting some color, finally filling out, hair all neat and tidy, clothes, though stained with blood, new. Her eyes were no longer void and dull, but now had some life in their brown spheres. I looked away and back down at the red water, then sighed as I finished washing them.

* * *

"We're getting off now," I turned to Killua, who was tapping my shoulder. I sat up from my seat.

"Yeah." I sighed, then stood and followed the boy, whose hands were behind his head. He glanced at me for a moment and I looked away at the same moment I felt his gaze upon me.

"Oh, hey, I should warn you about my family," he said.

"You already did." He shook his head, continuing on.

"My mother's a little crazy. Well, more than a little. She gets on my nerves a lot. My grandfather's ok, I'd be a little wary of my father, but as long as you stay with me you should be fine. My siblings can be a little intimidating, but Illumi's the only one you really have to worry about." I nodded. I had felt Illumi's aura, and it was rather terrifying. I unconsciously shivered at the thought.

As Killua and I walked out of the airship I sighed happily at the nature and fresh air. It was nice to be out of the stuffy air of the airship. The nature was so beautiful and all these trees were fantastic! I, suddenly realizing I was lagging behind Killua, hurried after him.

"So, think they'll worry about the blood left on the couch and the sinks?" I asked him. He grinned.

"Yup." But even though Killua was smiling, I still saw a pained look in his eyes. A look that said he was hurting somewhere. I wanted to ask him what was wrong but Crisei and Kura's words came into my mind. They had decided to let me wait it out until I was ready to speak, and knowing Killua he wasn't one to talk about feelings.

Instead I sighed and looked up at the sky.

Even though things weren't always going my way, at least I had friends. And whatever was paining Killua, whether it be me, his family, something entirely unrelated or a combination of the three, I would help him through it. At least I could do that.

At least I was alive.

* * *

**So... Who can guess how long until they start to develop feelings towards each other? Wanna make a bet?**

**OK! It's a contest! The person who gets closest or gets it right will win! Here's what you have to guess:**

**1) How many chapters until they start to have feelings towards each other**

**2) What arc they will have their first kiss in**

**3) Who will start to have feelings towards the other first**

**Wanna attempt? XD The prize will be... Something really cool and secret!**

**Oh, and thank you so so so much to the people who took the poll on my profile. I really helps, and it's making the writing process faster, funner, and easier. XD I really appreciate it! I know I won't be able to get everything that everyone wants in the next few chapters, but I will at least get the ones people voted on more! XD**


	29. Chapter 29

**Alright, I think I'm going to try and add a splash of feels in this one. :3 Oh, and for the results of the challenge last chapter, I'll post them at the beginning of chapter, oh wait, I was going to say 30 but that's the next chapter... I hate odd placed numbers... :'( I want to say 32 but I'm having stress with that so I'll post it at the beginning of chapter 35. :P**

**Mikamizu Mouri - Thanks! XD**

**SlightlyYandereMelissa - Alright, I have your guesses: After 4 chapters, Heaven's Arena or Greed Island arc, and Killua. Thanks :P**

**kri - I understand. I kept thinking of him too while I was writing that... But I don't think he'd be a perv to her, she's not that kind of girl unless she dresses up. But he might take pleasure in torturing her... ^^; Though Killua might get angry.**

**Sirenightsparrow - Alright, got your guesses: No romance, no kiss, and um, neither. But you're wrong on the age fact :P Basil is almost 14 and Killua is almost 13. Well, Basil is physically 14 already, even though she's still 13, I'll have a weird birthday thing I'll have to do for her. Because of the time halving and stuff for example when she turns 17 she'll physically be 18 or 19. I really don't want to have to think about it much though, too much math, too much brain hurting... But hey, reminded me of something, so thank you! XD Unfortunately can't tell you what. :P**

**GracefulLeopard - You are added! Your guesses: Chapter 35, Yorknew City arc, and Killua. Or is that a tie? *shrugs* If it's a tie you'll win then too. Thanks! XD And it's fine, but I'm going to make my story less predictable now! Mufahahahaha! XD I'm glad you're getting into it! :P**

**Liz - Added! Your guesses: 7, Heaven's Arena Arc, and Killua. Thank you, and you're welcome! Good luck! XD**

**Arcana The Wolf - Yay! XD Alright, so you're guessing: 5-10, Yorkshin or Greed Island arc, and Killua first. As for you're statement about Killua, that's what I was going for! ;P**

**Caliope07 - Alright, I have your guesses added: 25, Zoldyick arc, and the first to choose Basil! XD Thanks, good luck!**

* * *

**"You have to dream before your dreams can come true." - A. P. J. Abdul Kalam**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"We're getting off now," I turned to Killua, who was tapping my shoulder. I sat up from my seat._

_"Yeah." I sighed, then stood and followed the boy, whose hands were behind his head. He glanced at me and I looked away._

_"Oh, hey, I should warn you about my family," he said._

_"You already did." He shook his head._

_"My mother's a little crazy. Well, more than a little. She gets on my nerves a lot. My grandfather's ok, I'd be a little wary of my father, but as long as you stay with me you should be fine. My siblings can be a little intimidating, but Illumi's the only one you really have to worry about." I nodded. I had felt Illumi's aura, and it was rather terrifying. I unconsciously shivered._

_As Killua and I walked out of the airship I sighed happily at the nature and fresh air. It was nice to be out of the stuffy air of the airship. The nature was so beautiful and all these trees were fantastic! I, suddenly realizing I was lagging behind Killua, hurried after him._

_"So, think they'll worry about the blood left on the couch and the sinks?" I asked him. He grinned._

_"Yup." But even though Killua was smiling, I still saw a pained look in his eyes. A look that said he was hurting somewhere. I wanted to ask him what was wrong but Crisei and Kura's words came into my mind. They had decided to let me wait it out until I was ready to speak, and knowing Killua he wasn't one to talk about feelings._

_Instead I sighed and looked up at the sky._

_Even though things weren't always going my way, at least I had friends. And whatever was paining Killua, whether it be me, his family, something entirely unrelated or a combination of the three, I would help him through it. At least I could do that._

_At least I was alive._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

The two of us had ridden in this bus for a while now, and we were completely silent so far. Not a peep from either of us. I wasn't planning on speaking anytime soon. I felt like if I opened my mouth to utter even a single word, everyone on this silent bus would stare at me. I became uncomfortable at that thought. Instead, I shrunk back into my seat, uneasiness settling me as I turned my head to look out the window. We weren't going that fast, but it was fast enough for me. I was able to see the scenery about without it whizzing by before I could spot it.

"Hey, what do you think is happening with Gon?" Killua asked, suddenly breaking the silence. I turned to look at him in surprise that he had spoken, then furthered my shock when I saw he'd moved over next to me to stare out the window as well.

"Gon? I think by now he's up and freaking out about you." A smile found its way to Killua's lips. He shifted his body to place his hand under his head for support.

"Why would he be doing that?" He asked rather curiously.

"Why not?" I instantaneously answered. "I'm sure I'd be if I was in his position."

"But you're not, you followed me." I shrugged at his response back.

"I'm sure Gon would've done the same."

"How can you feel so sure?" I sighed as I looked back out the window, resting my chin onto my arms, folded across the top of the bench I was sitting backwards on.

"I'm not," I replied simply. "I'm only making a guess." I turned back and plopped back down onto the couch with a smile. "But so far I'm a good judge of character, and I can predict people easily." I paused, biting my lip. "At least I _thought_ I was. Now, I'm just not sure of myself anymore." I felt Killua turn and plop down as well.

"Well, whatever happens happens." I looked at him, curious as to what he was referring to, when the bus suddenly came to a stop. "Come on, let's go."

"Er, OK." I nodded then followed him, a little disappointed that I couldn't ask him what he meant. _Whatever happens happens? Does he mean to say he thinks Gon will follow him anyway?_ I shook my head at the thought. Even if Gon managed to follow us, from what little I'd heard of Killua's family I didn't think Gon would get very far.

"Hey, uh, we need to go on another bus."

"What? Another one?! How far is your house?!"

"Pretty far..."

* * *

I was back in my world. I had decided that leaving myself in a bloody mess in a blood pool in the middle of an alley with a blood trail leading to a pile of dead bodies wasn't a very good idea, so after cleaning up I made my way to the park. It was almost dark out, unlike the Nen world which was still probably around day time, the skies brighter than here.

I sat down on a bench and nibbled on some bread in silence. I smiled up at the sky. I needed to get moving. I'd spent way too much time in Markham. Even though the bread lady I'd been getting bread from was kind enough to let me have leftovers, I was starting to get nervous being here for so long. People would eventually find out, and then my parents and authorities would bring me back, and I'd be forced to live with them once again.

I didn't want that.

I wanted to be free. I wanted to live in the Nen world for good. But that'd never happen.

"Hey, so the carnival's in town. Want to go?" I looked up at two girls who looked about 17 or 18. _Carnival? Sounds fun, I kind of want to go... But I don't have any money._

"Sure, but I don't have much money, I won't be able to pay for the rides."

"Don't worry, entrance is free. The Marks brothers are hosting this one." I perked at that. I felt bad listening in on their conversation, but a carnival sounded fun. As the two girls's voices lowered as they walked farther away, I managed to hear the last bit. "Too bad we're 17, if we were 12 we could get in some for free."

I knew I wasn't 12, I was 13, but I could easily pass for a 12 year old. Plus, Killua was 12, and we were the same height. I actually started to hope I could go. I'd never been to an amusement park before, and this would be fun! My heart sunk though as a thought crossed my mind. I kind of wished my friends could be here too, then we could play around and have fun together.

But I knew that'd never happen.

Still, I decided to go to the carnival. Like the girls had said, I got in for free, and I was able to go to some magic shows and comedy acts because I was '12' and got in for free. Unfortunately, after then I had nothing to do so I sat down on a bench, deciding to plan out my abilities.

I was a specialist, and I had figured out my abilities would have to do with barriers. I'd need barriers to work for all the categories. _I guess I can start with a normal barrier to begin with that'll keep things out and protect people within it._ I decided to call it 'True Barrier.' After I worked on my True Barrier, which would be mainly an Enhancer/Emitter ability with hints of the others, I could work on the others.

I sighed sadly as I stared at the grass at my feet. Unfortunately practicing that wouldn't be easy, but I'd do it whenever I could.

"Hey, you OK? Why you look so sad?" I looked up and my eyes widened in surprise as I stared at the silver fluff and blue eyes of Killua. No, it can't be Killua, he couldn't be here!

"Killua?" The boy looked surprised for a second, taking the lollipop out of his mouth after.

"Huh? Oh, no, sorry. I'm Jean. Are you looking for, um, Kluha?" I shook my head. I had to admit it; the boy did look a lot like Killua, minus the fact that he looked more like 16. The silver hair, blue eyes, even the lollypop and his baggy clothes. However, now that I got a better look at him I could see his hair was actually more of a bleached blonde and his eyes were not as bright as Killua's, more of a normal blue. And he looked more like 20, not 16.

"No, you just reminded me of him."

"Ah. So why are you crying?" He asked as he sat down.

"I'm not crying," I instantaneously snapped. Suddenly I softened as I turned away from him. "I'm just, I don't know what to think!"

"About what?"

"Life!" I nearly shouted as I threw my arms in the air, exasperated, and leaned back.

"My, you're a little young to be thinking about life."

"I'm not that young." I sighed. After a second of silence I turned to the man. "If you had any wish, what would you wish for?" The man named Jean pursed his lips at the thought.

"Any wish? Hmm..." Then he smiled. "I guess I'd wish for people to be happy and that everyone could have fun everyday." I smiled for a second.

"I guess."

"Hey, but if my wish came true you'd be smiling." I shook my head.

"I don't think there's anything that'd make everyone happy. I'm sure one person would be happy if another was out of their life, however if that other person would only be happy in that first person's company, then what? There's no way to please everyone."

"Who told you that?"

"A friend."

"Well that friend's wrong." I looked up at him in confusion, but his eyes were looking up at the top of the illuminated Ferris Wheel. "I believe that when you make someone happy, that happiness transfers to others, and from them to even more. And even the people that seem to never be able to be happy just need the right thing in their life." My thoughts instantly switched to Killua and my parents. I guessed it was true; Killua just needed the right thing to be happy, and as for my parents...

It seemed like nothing I ever did made them happy. I'd thought maybe me being gone would make them happy, but then I realized they were just miserable people who needed to make others suffer. I'd thought it was my entire fault. But now that I thought about it clearly, I realized that maybe, whatever thing out there that would possibly make them happy, might have actually helped me, helped them.

"I mean, when someone's angry, when they yell at someone, you just have to look at what's making them angry in the first place. Like if a man was yelling at you and telling you that you were useless and stupid and lazy and never helped him, you'd get angry and want to yell back at him, right?" I nodded. "But what if I told you he'd just lost his house to a fire and he was about to lose his job?"

"I'd no longer feel angry, I'd just feel pity and try and help him more and forgive him." The man nodded.

"And that's what I want. I want people to understand, so they can be happy and not have to be miserable." I thought of Gon. Was he like that? Was that the reason he was always so happy? Because he looked at the positive and tried to understand why people did things? I smiled. "Ah, see, there's that smile!"

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem. What was your name?"

"Basil."

"Well, Basil, it was nice meeting you." He handed me a ticket and I looked at it before I took it. It was a ticket for unlimited rides. My eyes widened. "Don't refuse. You can have it." I looked back at the man, smiling after, embracing him in a hug.

"Thank you so much!" He patted my head, then, after I let go, left with a wave. I stared at the ticket in my hand with a smile, then frowned with a thought as I stared at it harder. _This ticket is awarded by Jean Marks._ I looked up, but the man was nowhere to be seen. _Marks... Why does that sound so familiar...?_

* * *

I awoke to Killua staring in my face. He looked somewhat annoyed to say in the least, plus he looked like he'd been staring at me for a while. "Finally, you're up." I looked around to see we were near a huge stone gate to say in the least. There was a little door off to the side and a small building. I also noticed the trees everywhere. "Come on, the bus stopped a while ago." I was afraid to ask it, but I was sure I already knew the answer.

"Did you carry me?" Killua shrugged. That was a yes. I sighed, standing after, cracking a few bones.

"You said you were just going to move your body then come back."

"You said it was a long bus ride."

"I didn't mean _that_ long."

"I wasn't gone for _that_ long. It was only five hours. Or two and a half here."

"And the bus ride took two. What were you doing that took five hours?"

"Riding Bumper Cars and Double Shot and Tilt-a-Whirl and Gravitron and all sorts of other carnival rides."

"What? Ah, no fair!"

"Hey, I could have spent four more hours there!" Killua scoffed.

"Whatever," he said as he put his hands on the many carved rectangles-like wall.

"Killua, what are you-" The said wall then opened, one, after another, until about three doors opened. I stared at it for a second, then hurried in after him as they shut behind us. Before they managed to completely shut however, I saw a larger old man coming out of the small building, a slightly startled look on his face as he stared at Killua and I. I waved with a smile, then hurried after Killua as he continued on and the doors fully shut.

"That was cool." I saw a small smile tug at Killua's lips, but it was quickly replaced with a frown. "How long until we reach your house?" Killua pulled his hand out of his pocket just long enough so he pointed near the top of the mountain in front of us. I sweat-dropped. "Th-that far? Man..." I whistled. "So this is all your back yard?" Killua nodded, still seeming a little upset.

And that voice in the back of my head started asking once again if I really should have chosen to follow him.

* * *

**So it looks like on average everyone is thinking Killua will have feelings first and they'll kiss around the Yorknew or Greed Island arc. Oh, and 6 chapters from now the romance. Well, let me tell you...**

**...**

**I'm not telling. :P**

**Did you really think I was going to tell? I already said I'm waiting to tell people who won at the beginning of chapter 35. :P**

**Anyways, so I'm going to tell you all a funny story. Let me first get my bearings and not throw my computer at the wall again for deleting this bit, then I'll start. :) Alright, well, it's more half funny half heartbreaking and upsetting. So I had a friend who was spending the night and while we were in my hottub we decided to play Truth or Dare. (OOOOH!) Well, by the end we were OK, no harm done, except she had dared me to do something which I was fine with, which I normally am with almost anything, and, well, (Just get to the point!) she dared me to tell my boyfriend I was a lesbian and couldn't be with him any longer. Now, I knew my boyfriend and I knew he wouldn't believe me, even though I am a professional cosplayer. However, I'd forgotten the fact that I used to date my best friend, who's a girl, and, well, long story short I told him and... He believed me and... THE LOOK ON HIS FACE WAS PRICELESS! HE WAS SO HEARTBROKEN IT WASN'T FUNNY BUT IT WAS! I feel really bad though, but, never to fear! I told him after a long awkwardness it was a dare, and his reply; "My goodness, I'm gonna kill her." He was so upset. We're still together, don't worry. But still, he friggen believed me and I felt so bad because I did it professionally but it was really funny! (There's more, but I'm too lazy and it'll fill this chapter up. :3)**

**Thank you to everyone who's reviewing and I love you all, despite my teases! Here everyone, you can have some pocky. XD**


	30. Chapter 30

**Alright, next chappie! Oh, and to people who are wondering, the reason I'm updating so fast is because of the awesome people who took my poll to give me ideas and I'm waiting to post a new chapter until it's beta-read and edited, so I have time to write another while that's happening... Which means faster chapters. XD You're welcome, and thank you all so much!**

**I have two quotes this chapter since they were so similar but different enough I couldn't just not post one of them. :P Enjoy!**

**Liz - Close to what? The guesses? Nope, you weren't. Or maybe you were. :P You'll know at the beginning of chapter 35.**

**Amu Wants Noodles - Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it! XD BTW, I like your username.**

**GracefulLeopard - Good 'cause I'm allergic to chocolate. ;-;**

**kri - Maybe. :P Maybe not. :P You'll see. :P**

**Arcana The Wolf - If you say so. I still feel bad about it. And you're welcome, I love me too. I'm just not one of the people who takes forever to write, I write fast and easy and am almost always on the computer doing something. Plus I'm impatient so even if I did space them out I'd get way to stressed over me not posting the chapter I already have finished. I can only do that if I haven't even posted the first chapter yet and I'm waiting until I get the story done or almost done. And I can't tell you because I'm waiting for certain people who might be still thinking about it. I don't want to spoil it for them! Plus, as you said, I update fast so you wont have to wait too long. Yes, yes, Kil is jelly. :3 I used to do fufufufufu but now I do mufahahahahaha because of someone saying there was a character who laughed like that and it was the creepiest thing out there. XD**

**Luna Lockheart - Thanx! 3**

* * *

**"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work." - Colin Powell**

**"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort." - Jesse Owens**

* * *

_Recap:_

_I awoke to Killua staring in my face. He looked somewhat annoyed to say in the least, plus he looked like he'd been staring at me for a while. "Finally, you're up." I looked around to see we were near a huge stone gate to say in the least. There was a little door off to the side and a small building. I also noticed the trees everywhere. "Come on, the bus stopped a while ago." I was afraid to ask it, but I was sure I already knew the answer._

_"Did you carry me?" Killua shrugged. That was a yes. I sighed, then stood, cracking a few bones._

_"You said you were just going to move your body then come back."_

_"You said it was a long bus ride."_

_"I didn't mean that long."_

_"I wasn't gone for that long. It was only five hours. Or two and a half here."_

_"And the bus ride took two. What were you doing that took five hours?"_

_"Riding Bumper Cars and Double Shot and Tilt-a-Whirl and Gravitron and all sorts of other carnival rides."_

_"What? Ah, no fair!"_

_"Hey, I could have spent four more hours there!" Killua scoffed._

_"Whatever," he said as he put his hands on the wall._

_"Killua, what are you-" The wall then opened, one, after another, until three doors opened. I stared at it for a second, then hurried in after him as they shut behind us. Before they shut I saw a larger old man coming out of the small building, a slightly startled look on his face as he stared at Killua and I. I waved with a smile, then hurried after Killua as he continued on and the doors fully shut._

_"That was cool." I saw a small smile tug at Killua's lips, but it was quickly replaced with a frown. "How long until we reach your house?" Killua pulled his hand out of his pocket just long enough so he pointed near the top of the mountain in front of us. I sweat-dropped. "Th-that far? Man..." I whistled. "So this is all your back yard?" Killua nodded, still seeming a little upset._

_And that voice in the back of my head started asking once again if I really should have chosen to follow him._

_End Recap_

* * *

Killua's 'backyard' was amazing. It seemed to stretch on for miles, which admittingly it probably did, but there were also so many cool creatures I'd never seen before. "Wow, the animals here are like none from my world." Killua glanced at me.

"Really? Huh." I frowned. Ever since we'd come through that gate Killua had been acting weird... Distant and lost.

"Are you OK?" I asked him finally. He looked up at me in slight surprise.

"What, no, I'm fine. Why?"

"You seem lost in thought."

"Yeah, I'm just thinking."

"Of what?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing." I shrugged, then looked up to see a little stone fence with an opening. A dark skinned girl stood there, wearing a tuxedo and holding a staff. When she and I met gazes her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly changed back to an emotionless look. She bowed.

"Welcome back home Master Killua." Killua said nothing. "And-" She paused for a split second, barely noticeable, but still there. "Mistress Basil." My eyes widened slightly and I almost stumbled. It was mainly because of two facts; She called me mistress, and she knew my name. I looked back at her as I continued on. She still stood there, bowed. She opened an eye and looked at me, but quickly shut it again.

"Hey Killua, who was that?" I asked rather wearily.

"She's an apprentice butler of my family, her name is Canary." Killua responded.

"Oh, does she stand there to greet people?"

"Well, of a form." I didn't like those words. I mean, they were a family of assassins...

"So your family knows you were coming? And me?"

"Yeah. Illumi probably told them." _That makes sense._ I made sure to stay close to the silver haired boy. I had a very bad feeling about this...

"Hello Master Killua, Mistress Basil." I flinched as I spun to the side, almost bumping into Killua when I took a step back in surprise. A man stood there, tall, wearing a tuxedo like Canary. He had glasses and short black hair. "Master Killua, your mother is waiting for you inside. Mistress Basil, please follow me to get cleaned up." I opened and closed my mouth like a fish, not sure what to do or say. Thankfully though, Killua took a step in front of me before I could do anything.

"Basil's with me," he said simply. "She's not going anywhere, Gotoh." The man named Gotoh bowed once again.

"But your mother said-"

"Screw what my mother said!" Gotoh nodded at his outburst, noting the disdain in his voice.

"Then I will accompany you two to the house." Killua agreed and nodded at that, then turned to me, who had been just looking back and forth between the two. I felt really nervous as I stuck next to Killua, walking with him after Gotoh in a direction I presumed was to their house.

* * *

Gotoh had lead us to a room where the door was shut. The house was huge so far, and I almost got lost several times on our way as I looked around. I had to keep my Ten in check, since I was pretty sure anything I did with my Nen would raise suspicion. If Illumi knew Nen I could assume others knew it, and I didn't want to be put into a bad situation, since I was in a house full of assassins. Plus it put Killua on edge.

I felt so small. Like a little insignificant child wandering dark hallways in silence. I didn't like the feeling this place gave me.

"We're here," Gotoh said with a bow. Killua opened the door and I followed, keeping an eye on the butler. He also watched me with a wary eye. I unconsciously shivered at that.

Maybe coming with Killua was a really, really, _really_ bad idea...

"Kil! I missed you so much!" I looked forward to see a tall lady had grabbed Killua into a hug. Killua looked very unhappy. "You should have told me you wanted to take the Hunter Exams! I'm so glad you came back, I was so worried about you!" The woman, who I presumed was Killua's mom, had an electronic mask with a single red dot. Around her neck was a bunch of wrappings like mine, probably from where Killua had stabbed her. She also wore a dress like what people in my world wore during the renaissance. I flinched at the woman, whose aura was very intimidating. I was unsure whether to stay where I was or stay near Killua.

The woman turned to me with a look. I flinched as my eyes widened and fear struck my heartbeat, racing a mile away very second possible. I bit my lip in silence, turning my gaze to the floor.

"Killua, you know you aren't supposed to bring people here. You remember what we told you." Killua glared at his mom, who flinched back, gritting her teeth together. "Milluki, I think Killua needs some solitary confinement to think about what he's done." A portly boy walked into the room, a smug look on his face. "What do you think, Kil? Solitary confinement? Or shall we punish her instead?" The woman motioned to me.

"Don't you dare touch her," he replied. I clenched my fists, mind panicking at the same said mile. I just wanted out of here, somewhere else. This pressure, it just had to remind me of my parents. This fear, it made me feel so scared. After for what felt like an eternity, but in reality, a second, Killua continued. "I'll take the solitary confinement. Just don't hurt Basil."

"We won't harm a hair on her head," his mother replied with a smile. For some reason her words didn't bode well with me. "Milluki, take Kil to solitary confinement."

"Yes dear mother," the portly boy answered. He roughly grabbed Killua's arm and started to drag him off, but Killua roughly shoved him and walked on his own. The mother than looked at me. I flinched again, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Well, my dear, Basil, was it? I don't assume Gotoh gave you a tour of our house?" I naturally shook my head.

"No ma'am. We came straight here." The woman clapped her hands together in disappointment.

"Such manners. You don't mind if I show you around?" Again, I shook my head.

"No ma'am. This is your house, you're allowed to do what you want with it."

"Right you are. Smart girl. Follow me then." The lady started off. I nervously followed her in place.

* * *

"-and this is the study." I followed the woman into the room.

"Um, Mrs. Zoldyck..."

"Please call me Kikyo."

"Mrs. Kikyo, why are you showing me around your house? I mean, I thought you were assassins, so why are you plainly showing me around where you live?"

I fell into the chair with a thud in surprise as Killua's mother pushed me back with her umbrella. "My, my, getting cocky are we?" I gulped as she leaned forward. "Let me tell you something. A little nobody like you would never be able to take a _step_ on our property without Killua's help. Speaking of him, I wonder what he's up to now~." A screen flashed on in front of me on the computer on the desk, drawing my eyes to it. On the screen I saw Killua, hanging from chains, shirtless and covered in whip marks, blood, and bruises. The portly boy stood in front of him with a whip.

"Killua!" I nearly screamed as I stood in fear. Kikyo's umbrella slammed to a stop in front of me, preventing me from moving any farther.

"Oh, he can't hear you. Sorry."

"Please, don't hurt him anymore," I begged, turning to her. "I know what it feels like to be constantly abused, and-"

"Abused?!" Kikyo nearly screeched as she chenched her teeth in a snarl. "Killua chose to go to solitary confinement. This is no more abuse than training is! Kil needs to know he can't just run off without telling me and bring a stranger home with him! Unless you want to join him I suggest keeping your mouth shut." I clenched my fists. Sure, this woman at first reminded me of my mother, sure, she was intimidating, but there was a piece of her voice that sounded desperate, that sounded like someone who wasn't as strong as she claimed to be. Maybe she was stronger than me, most definitely, but she wasn't someone I truly needed to fear as much as I had before. Instead, I now felt a surge of anger for their treatment of Killua.

I mean, wasn't that the whole reason I wanted to become a hunter anyway? So that I could live in this world and help the people who were dealing with abuse like me? Give them a home, money, a way out? And if I couldn't even help Killua, if I couldn't even help my friend, what kind of hunter was I?! Now, I no longer distrusted the silver haired boy, I only felt anger at his family, like I had with mine. Now, I fully understood why he'd attacked me, and I couldn't just stand by and watch as he suffered. I didn't care what happened to me, I just wanted to help my friend!

"Join him? Why would I join him?! I'll take his damn place!"

* * *

**OOOH! Basil's angry~!**

**Hey, did anyone see what I did last chapter with Jean? The Killua doppelganger? His last name, Marks? The Marks brothers were hosting the carnival that made entrance free? Eh, EH?! XD**

**Anyways, I'm sorry for Kikyo, I feel like I made her slightly OOC here... I've never written her before besides the few lines she says in this arc during regular storyline. ^^; Sorry...**


	31. Chapter 31

**Next chappie! Gon and his friends shall be arriving and us getting back on track either this or the next chapter. XD**

**SlightlyYandereMelissa - Only because of you awesome people who review my work and make me feel special! (Plus I love this story and I love how it's turning out :P) Thank you, I'm glad you like that. I'm glad she didn't seem OOC to you. I was a little worried.**

**Sirenightsparrow - Well Basil was only trying to help! DX True, true... Yes, sneaky mom. And you'll see she and Milluki are even sneakier here. :P**

**Liz - Yes, I agree. I hate Kikyo too. She's so annoying. DX You're welcome! XD**

**kri - Good! I'm glad someone noticed! XD And yes, I think you have. :P But that's all thanks to awesome support from people like you. It makes me feel appreciated and makes me write more.**

**GracefulLeopard - What? You didn't understand? OK, let me simplify this... Jean's full name was Jean Marks. The Marks brothers were hosting the carnival that made entrance free to the carnival. Because it was free, Basil got to go in. Because she could pass for 12, she got in some shows for free. When she had nothing else to do, Jean saw her and had a chat, and gave her a free ticket for unlimited carnival rides. That Jean Marks was one of the Marks brothers who made entrance to the carnival free. Get it now? XD And thanks, I was a little worried about Kikyo. And what'll happen next? Ah~ You'll see! XD**

**KaileySpitler - I'm so happy you like it that much! XD I do that a lot too, but mine are normally all-nighters. :P Thanks for the support!**

* * *

**"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." - Oscar Wilde**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Um, Mrs. Zolyick..."_

_"Please call me Kikyo."_

_"Mrs. Kikyo, why are you showing me around your house? I mean, I thought you were assassins, so why are you plainly showing me around where you live?"_

_I fell into the chair with a thud in surprise as Killua's mother pushed me back with her umbrella. "My, my, getting cocky are we?" I gulped as she leaned forward. "Let me tell you something. A little nobody like you would never be able to take a step on our property without Killua's help. Speaking of him, I wonder what he's up to now~." A screen flashed on in front of me on the computer on the desk, drawing my eyes to it. On the screen I saw Killua, hanging from chains, shirtless and covered in whip marks, blood, and bruises. The portly boy stood in front of him with a whip._

_"Killua!" I nearly screamed as I stood. Kikyo's umbrella slammed to a stop in front of me, preventing me from moving any farther._

_"Oh, he can't hear you. Sorry."_

_"Please, don't hurt him anymore," I begged, turning to her. "I know what it feels like to be constantly abused, and-"_

_"Abused?!" Kikyo nearly screeched as she chenched her teeth in a snarl. "Killua chose to go to solitary confinement. This is no more abuse than training is! Kil needs to know he can't just run off without telling me and bring a stranger home with him! Unless you want to join him I suggest keeping your mouth shut." I clenched my fists. Sure, this woman at first reminded me of my mother, sure, she was intimidating, but there was a piece of her voice that sounded desperate, that sounded like someone who wasn't as strong as she claimed to be. Maybe she was stronger than me, most definitely, but she wasn't someone I truly needed to fear as much as I had before. Instead, I now felt a surge of anger for their treatment of Killua._

_I mean, wasn't that the whole reason I wanted to become a hunter anyway? So that I could live in this world and help the people who were dealing with abuse like me? Give them a home, money, a way out? And if I couldn't even help Killua, if I couldn't even help my friend, what kind of hunter was I?! Now, I no longer distrusted the silver haired boy, I only felt anger at his family, like I had with mine. Now, I fully understood why he'd attacked me, and I couldn't just stand by and watch as he suffered. I didn't care what happened to me, I just wanted to help my friend!_

_"Join him? Why would I join him? I'll take his damn place!"_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I flinched in pain as my eyes fluttered open. The first thing I noticed was the emptiness of the room. The lack of anything, the cobwebs... The only noticeable feature a door to the side with a candle, or is that a torch? Next to it. Other than that the room was empty, dark, silent. I groaned as I attempted to move my hands to rub my head, but paused and looked to my arms in disgust as I found they were bound out to my sides to the wall in chains. I lowered my head and sighed, looking to the ground and letting my eyes droop.

I hoped Killua was OK...

My head flung up as the door started to creak open. My eyes stared at it in expectation, when they fell as the portly boy, if I remembered correctly his name was Milluki, walked into the room, smirk present on his chubby face. He had the whip in his hand, pulled tight in a loop.

"When Mother told me she had you locked up and I could torture you however I wanted, I didn't believe her at first, but now I'm down here and see she was quite right." He took a step forward.

"What happened to Killua?"

"Oh he's fine. No need to worry about him."

"Somehow I don't think I like your definition of fine."

"I don't care what you like!" Milluki replied rashly, letting the whip fall loose. "Now shut up!" He flung the whip at me. I grit my teeth as I tightly closed my eyes and turned my head to the right. I felt the whip slap against my left arm. It stung as it cut through my wrappings, but I held back a yelp as I tried to take it. That's_ going to leave a mark..._

I'd never been whipped before. My parents had always used sharp objects like knives and heated sticks. I'd gotten used to that type of torture, but that was a normal pain for me. It was a torture I could deal with. However, here, in this world, people were stronger. The weapons were more durable and did more damage.

Here, I didn't think I could take it.

I finally let out a small scream of pain as the whip lashed against my cheek. Even though I had Ten, it wasn't strong enough to help here. If I had my Ten at full power they might notice, and again, I didn't want them, whoever 'them' might be, to notice. Plus I hadn't worked on my True Barrier, and at this point Nami might kill me. "Huh, you're pretty resilient, but you don't seem like you'll be much fun. Oh well. Mother says I am not allowed to break you, but there are so many other things we could do instead." He leaned in closer, to where his body was only a foot away from me. I made a disgusted grunt as I tried not to look at him and instead just closed my eyes and tried not to think. I didn't want my mind to panic; it might set off Nami like before. I just needed to not think.

Not thinking was really hard to do as I sat chained to a wall with a portly assassin whipping me.

Another lash, this time on my hip area. I almost bit my tongue as I tried not to scream again. I knew he probably just took pleasure in seeing my pain. But at the same time, I knew, I had either saved Killua from getting beaten, or Killua was being beaten by someone else. I truly hoped it was the former.

I honestly didn't know what I was thinking. Trying to take Killua's place like that when he had tried just to save me from pain? I was an idiot! I don't even remember what made me speak out like that. Was it because of this place? My feeling of hatred overruling my tongue? Was it because I felt the freedom to speak, compared to when I was with my parents?

I didn't know.

All I knew was that once again, my blood flowed down my body, and once again, I had to do everything I could not to fall unconscious.

But as the stinging pain from lash after lash with the older boy's annoying voice yelling in my ear softened to a dull hum and numbness, I didn't know for how much longer I could last without putting my Ten up or letting go.

Slowly my eyes closed and I took a deep breath. Shit.

"Hey, don't you fall asleep on me too!" My eyes flung open and I yelped as a shot of electricity bolted through my chest. I grit my teeth as I tried to hold in my screaming, but as the pain spread to the rest of my body I couldn't hold it in anymore. I let out a scream that sounded almost like a groan.

"That _hurt_!" I yelled out at the boy as my eyes flung open. I panted heavily and took a deep breath when I paused and looked at him in confusion as he stared back at me, equal confusion on his face.

"Nanda tou?" He said. I balked.

"Wh-what?" He looked at me in confusion, then back down at my chest. My face contorted in sudden understanding as I looked down at my chest to see the translation device had decided to fizz out with the amount of electricity that had hit it.

My life literally sucked like hell right now. Milluki bent forward to tap it, and as he did pain shot through my body again. I yelped, then attempted to kick him. Thankfully they hadn't tied my legs tight, and he was just close enough I managed to hit him between the legs.

"Mou ii!" He said as he backed up, almost falling down as he held his crotch in pain. "Itaime-ni?!" I smiled inwardly to myself. If I couldn't understand him, he couldn't understand me anymore.

"Sorry, I don't know what you're saying," I replied with a smile. "I don't like you anyway. Didn't you and your mother promise to Killua you wouldn't hurt me anyway? Ah, what am I saying, you can't even understand me." Milluki looked at me in slight confusion, but when I said Killua his face changed just slightly in recognition.

"Zannen. Omae mou futatabi Killua no hanashi o suru tame ni eru koto wa arimasen. Wakaru?" I grit my teeth. I didn't know what he said, but whatever it was I didn't like it.

"Screw off," I said. He just grinned.

"Ah, omae wa tsumannai. Dewa…mata suguni ne, Baka." With that, Milluki walked out the door, an annoyed expression on his face as he almost waddled in pain. Admittedly I'd added a little Nen to that kick... I hope that didn't make life worse for me...

I sighed and let my head droop again as my brain started to register once again the pain from all the new bruises and cuts on my skin. _Killua... I hope you're alright..._

* * *

"Basil! Chikushō." My eyes fluttered open and I looked over to see my wrists, raw from the chains that were holding them, came loose. My vision was cloudy as I hung on to trying to stay conscious. My head spun and even by the time I'd been free I was in no position to get up.

"Killua?" As my vision adjusted I saw Killua standing there, face shaded as he tried not to look at me. His hands were in his pockets, but other than that he looked fine.

"Ganbatte you da na. Oretachi ga iku hitsuyō ga arimasu." I looked at him in confusion, then, as I remembered that my translation device broke, I sighed.

"Um, Killua, I have a problem." Killua finally looked at me. I pointed at myself, then my lips, then shook my head. "I can't speak to you anymore." I pointed to the device stuck in my chest. Killua bent down and stared at the device. He decided to poke it, causing me to yelp. He looked a little surprised, then bit his lip as he stood. He held his hand out and I stared at it.

"Sore o toru, sā. Ore wa nani ga okotte iru no ka wakarimasen...demo...Milluki wa kono tame ni shobatsu sa remasu." I nodded when I heard Milluki, taking his hand after. "Omae wa aruki dekimasu ka?" I stared at Killua, who sighed, then started forward. After a couple seconds he stopped and looked back at me. _I think he's asking if I can walk..._ I nodded, then started forward. I flinched as a pain on my hip started, but I tried to ignore it as I continued on. Eventually Killua sighed and walked over to me, easily grabbing me and picking me up. I squinted at the aches.

"Darn, why am I still so weak..." I sighed.

* * *

**Really sorry, I had written this chapter already but then my computer decided to up and delete it. DX I was so angry I couldn't even look at a computer for a week, then I finally got back to it. Hope you understand. I needed _some_ way to blow off steam besides throwing my computer at the wall. Again.**

**Thank you everyone for all the reviews, makes me smile a lot! I love hearing your thoughts and what makes you laugh and cry and scream. :P It really inspires me and gives me ideas! XD I'm sorry for all the Basil pain scenes. Don't worry, it'll get better. I think after this there'll only be one or two more, and they're at the end of this fanfic. :P**

**Now onto happier times! Yay Killua for saving her! **

**I wonder what happened while she was out? Did she take his place or what...? ****It'll be explained in the next chapter! ****Will she ever be able to understand them, and them her? ****Yes, at the beginning of the next chapter.**

**Oh yes, and what did they say...? I'll tell you! XD I know it's not perfect translations, sorry.**

**Nanda tou: What is that**

**Mou ii: Forget it**

**Itaime-ni: You want to feel some real pain**

**Zannen. Omae mou futatabi Killua no hanashi o suru tame ni eru koto wa arimasen. Wakaru: Too bad. You will not get to talk of Killua again. Do you understand**

**Ah, omae wa tsumannai. Dewa…mata suguni ne, Baka: Ah, you're boring. See you soon, Idiot**

**Chikushō: Damn it**

**Ganbatte you da na. Oretachi ga iku hitsuyō ga arimasu: Come on. We need to go**

**Sore o toru, sā. Ore wa nani ga okotte iru no ka wakarimasen...demo...Milluki wa kono tame ni shobatsu sa remasu: Come on, take it. I don't know what's going on... But... Milluki will be punished for that**

**Omae wa aruki dekimasu ka: Are you able to walk**

**Chao~! XD**


	32. Chapter 32

**Well, back on track! Sorry for the irregular updates, but... It will happen a lot. :P Wow, two chapters in one day! XD Must be an apology. :P**

**Yinyang555 - What part? What monstrosity is this?! It must be fixed at once!**

**KaileySpitler - Most likely, now that you mention it. Just not anytime soon. :P**

**Liz - No, no she can't. You're welcome!**

* * *

**"There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" - Robert F. Kennedy**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Basil! Chikushō." My eyes fluttered open and I looked over to see my wrists, raw from the chains that were holding them, came loose. My vision was cloudy as I hung on to trying to stay conscious. My head spun and even by the time I'd been free I was in no position to get up._

_"Killua?" As my vision adjusted I saw Killua standing there, face shaded as he tried not to look at me. His hands were in his pockets, but other than that he looked fine._

_"Ganbatte you da na. Oretachi ga iku hitsuyō ga arimasu." I looked at him in confusion, then, as I remembered that my translation device broke, I sighed._

_"Um, Killua, I have a problem." Killua finally looked at me. I pointed at myself, then my lips then shook my head. "I can't speak to you anymore." I pointed to the device stuck in my chest. Killua bent down and stared at the device. He decided to poke it, causing me to yelp. He looked a little surprised, then bit his lip as he stood. He held his hand out and I stared at it._

_"Sore o toru, sā. Ore wa nani ga okotte iru no ka wakarimasen...demo...Milluki wa kono tame ni shobatsu sa remasu." I nodded when I heard Milluki, then took his hand. "Omae wa aruki dekimasu ka?" I stared at Killua, who sighed, then started forward. After a couple seconds he stopped and looked back at me. _I think he's asking if I can walk... _I nodded, then started forward. I flinched as a pain on my hip started, but I tried to ignore it as I continued on. Eventually Killua sighed and walked over to me, easily grabbing me and picking me up. I squinted at the aches._

_"Darn, why am I still so weak..." I sighed._

_End re-cap_

* * *

Ever since we left my cell, Killua and I had been silent. I wanted to ask him questions, but he wouldn't understand me. _I wonder if my translation device will ever get fixed..._ I wondered.

Killua had changed clothes, I noticed. He had a backpack with loose straps on as well. I wondered how long I'd been out, what'd happened to him. He didn't look too beat up.

Footsteps brought my attention to where we were headed. Currently it was just a dark hallway, but someone was coming. I glared at the thought of it possibly being Milluki, then looked at Killua. He had a stern look on his face as well. When I looked back down the hallway, running straight for us was Kikyo. Tailing her was a little... Boy? He sure looked like a girl. He must've been another one of Killua's brothers.

"Kil." Kikyo stopped in front of the said boy. "Sore wa oso sugimasu. Korera no santtsu wa sudeni sarimashita. Anata no seru ni modorimasu." She looked at me for a second. "Anata wa dōyō ni on'nanoko o nokoshimasu!"

"Tondemo nai. Ore wa nokoshite imasu. Basil wa oretoisshoni kite imasu."

"Kil!" The woman rushed her sharp nailed hand forward towards the two of us. I was about to flinch my eyes shut, but then she paused. I glanced at her, but she was staring at Killua. I looked at Killua, and when I looked into his eyes, his glare, I gulped.

"Ore no hōhō no uchi." Killua simply said as he started to walk forward, right between the two frozen figures. I looked back at the two who were staring after us, wondering what the heck just happened.

"Oh, Kil... Anata no me wa ima totemo tsumetaidesu..." I heard the mother say.

I sighed as I turned back to Killua. "Hey, I can walk now..." Killua looked down at me, cold eyes shifting to something that looked a bit more calmer. "It's just bruises..." Killua shook his head.

"Tara oretachi ga nokoshi...Ore wa anata o shūsei shimasu." I sighed as he didn't put me down, but just replied with more words I didn't understand.

For once I felt more like an outsider here than in my own world.

* * *

"Hm... Can you understand me now?"

"Fudge, yes! Ow! Man, that hurt more than when it was put in the first time!" I fell backwards onto a fluffy couch, groaning as my body still felt the aftershocks of whatever the butlers here just did. Killua had refused to let me walk on my own until we reached here, another giant house in which my mind still got lost in, and had only set me down on the couch after talking with the butlers who led us to this room. Gotoh had left long ago back to the entrance. I figured it had something to do with Gon, since I'd heard his name. Unless Gon was just another word in their language I didn't understand.

"Put in the first time?" Killua asked aloud to himself as he sat down next to me. He whistled. "Man, you don't know how weird it was not to understand you." The blonde haired butler left the room.

"Same here, though more annoying than weird. You know, you could have let me walk long ago."

"Hm?"

"That's mainly what I was saying. Back when we left your mother."

"Oh. I thought you were asking about her or something else," Killua replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't know you had a translation device. Was that your original language?"

"Yeah. That's why I- I-" I paused, trying to avoid what I was about to say. That I couldn't read or write? Man... that was embarrassing... "... Need it. Without it I'm pretty much helpless..." Killua raised an eyebrow in slight suspicion, but said nothing of it.

"So it hurts that much?"

"Only when I got it and when it broke, and while it was broken when people touched it. It's fine now." Killua looked back down at my chest, but then after a second blushed and looked away even though my clothes had been replaced (thanks to the forced generosity of the butlers). I tilted my head, then realization hit me. "Hey! Don't be a perv!"

"I wasn't!" Killua annoyingly said as he turned back to me, although mostly in defense.

"You were sure thinking it!" I huffed, glaring annoyingly over at him. Killua's blush deepened and he stood.

"Yeah right! Like I'd want to touch your flat chest!"

SLAP!

Time seemed to pause as my hand left Killua's cheek. I huffed again and walked away from the frozen boy. "I'm going to go find some water."

I let out the door, shutting it behind me, but unlike what I'd previously said I just stood there, back pressed up against the wall. If I left to go find some water I'd get lost...

I groaned and pressed my head to the wall, then grabbed the handle to the door and walked back into the room. As the door opened, there stood Killua, wide eyes, red hand print on his face. He took a step back cautiously as the two of us stared at each other, then I broke the eye contact as I went to sit down. "Never mind, I'd get lost in this giant maze of a house." Killua said nothing.

After a second I looked back up at him. "Hey, sorry I slapped you..." I said, now afraid of him hating me.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too." He sat back down. He glanced at me cautiously, then almost immediately looked away.

"Hey, so I couldn't understand a word of what you said ever since you came to get me in my cell, so you have a lot of explaining to do."

"Hm? Well, there's not much to tell. Nothing of importance anyway." I huffed.

"Of importance? You said quite a bit to me."

"Just that Milluki would pay." I 'ah'ed, smiling at his concern for me. Killua crossed his arms behind his head, leaning back. "And I basically told my mother to screw off." I whistled.

"Wow, I'd never have the courage to say that to my mom." Killua glanced at me.

"Why not?" He asked curiously. I frowned at his question, averting my eyes for a second.

"Well... It's just my parents... I'm not brave enough to stand up to them enough. I was barely able to fight my dad when he had a gun up to my head. If it wasn't for-" I paused, biting my tongue back. I closed my eyes, then slowly opened them with a smile. "Thanks to all my new friends, I have enough courage to be who I am now." Killua smiled. After a pause I frowned and turned back to Killua. "Ne, speaking of which, were you talking about Gon to the butlers?" Killua's face brightened.

"Ah, yeah, Gotoh said that Gon and the others were headed up here. He said he'd get us as soon as they arrived." My eyes widened.

"Man, really?"

"What, you're that surprised? Weren't you the one who said Gon would come?"

"Well, yeah, but I didn't think he'd make it. I mean, your family is so... Strict."

"I guess. But Gon's stubborn." A smile tugged at my lips. "You know him, never gives up." Killua paused, face turning to thought. "Anyways, I'm pretty angry at my mom for putting you in that cell."

"Yeah, didn't she promise she wouldn't hurt 'a hair on my head'?" I asked.

"Yup. She had the hair sitting on the table." I paused, and then after figuring out what Killua said, started cracking up.

"Wow, didn't think she was that smart!"

"Smart? She put you in a cell and let Milluki beat you up!" I waved my hand at him.

"Eh, eh, what matters is what happened to you. Did they stop beating you?" Killua looked taken aback.

"Uh, yeah. I didn't think much of it, but after a bit Milluki stopped and didn't come back. My grandfather came and let me go, then I went and talked to my father. That was when I asked where you were, and he told me my mother had put you in a cell. Then I went and got you."

"Good."

"Good?!" Killua almost yelled as he stood up. "Yeah right!" I sighed. Sometimes I wished there was just an on off switch for my translation device.

* * *

"It's been a while," I said, thinking aloud. Killua nodded, as he lied on the couch, staring at a robot box of chocolates in his hand. There were almost 40 more on the table in front of him. Surprisingly, I'd only eaten one of the boxes. Killua had eaten the rest. He sat up, looking over at me.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. How long do we have to wait?" He stood, looking over at the door. "Hey, Gotoh!" With no response he walked over to the door and opened it. I saw the darkness peer in, showing how dark it was outside. "Anyone around?" He looked down the hallway and I walked over to join him. "What's going on?" He asked, a suspicious look on his face.

"I don't know. It's like they abandoned us," I replied.

"Come on, let's go find Gotoh and ask him what's taking so long." Killua quickly grabbed his stuff then started down the hallway. I followed behind him.

We had been walking around for a while. Killua was yelling Gotoh's name, but not a butler was in sight. I was looking around, but I had to make sure to keep up with Killua and keep him in my sights. I definitely didn't want to get lost.

"Gotoh! Where are you!" Killua yelled again.

"Maybe he's still in the entrance room..." I said.

"Yeah," Killua replied as he started off. I followed close behind him with a smile. Killua sure seemed like he was back to normal, or whatever normal was for him. _I guess he's changed. For the better I hope._ My gaze softened. _I guess I've changed too. _I took a deep breath as that realization hit me. _I've changed... And it is all because of this world._

Killua opened a large door in front of us which I assumed lead into the entrance room. "Gotoh, is Gon here yet?" Killua asked as he entered. I heard clapping starting to fade as I peeked in behind Killua.

"Killua!" I perked as I heard Gon's voice and saw him turn around, looking over the couch. I also saw Leorio, Kurapika, and surprisingly Crisei! I smiled as I hurried over, running in front of Killua and stopped at the couch. I was so happy to see them! Crisei, huge smile on his face, messed up my hair with his hand.

"Good to see you kid." Killua stopped next to me.

"Gon!" He said with a smile. "Along with… Kurapika!"

"I'm just an afterthought?" Kurapika said, hanging his head. I giggled.

"Liorio!" Killua mispronounced.

"It's Leorio!" Leorio complained. Killua gave him no thought as he turned to Crisei.

"And Crisei!" Crisei sighed.

"Good to see you as well," he said, shaking his head. The four hurried off the couch.

"It's been a while," Killua continued to Gon. "I can't believe you came. What happened? Your face is a wreck!"

"Your's isn't any better!" Gon replied. The two laughed at each other.

"Hey, Gotoh. I told you to let Basil and I know as soon as they arrived. What were you doing?" Killua asked with a tone of annoyance.

"Forgive me. I had them participate in a little game." Gotoh replied.

"A game?" Killua and I both said at the same time. We glanced at each other, and I smiled at him.

"It was nothing more than a poor joke. I apologize for any aggravation," Gotoh finished. He then turned to the others. "Did you enjoy yourselves?"

"That was really good acting…" Leorio said. Crisei nodded, scratching his head.

"What? Did they try something?" Killua asked.

"Nope. They were entertaining us." Gon replied.

"Really? Well, whatever. Anyway, let's go somewhere else. Anywhere else, right now. If we stay here, my mother will give us an earful!" Killua explained, then turned to the butler. "Hey Gotoh. Listen up. I don't care what mother says. Don't follow me."

"Understood. Please take care." Gotoh replied.

"Gon, Basil. Let's go." Killua said, then with a bye everyone started off. I looked back at the butlers to see Gon had stopped to chat with Gotoh, but he soon caught back up with the rest of us.

"It's great to see you all!" I said as soon as we left the mansion. "I can't believe you actually managed to come!"

"I can't believe you actually ran after Killua," Leorio replied with an angry tone. I shrugged. I turned as I felt a tapping on my shoulder, and Crisei, whose head was turned away from me, handed me a Hunter License with my name on it. I gasped happily, immediately taking it.

"You should've seen Basil!" Killua said with a laugh. "Her translation device broke and she was speaking in a weird language!" With that my face turned pink.

"H-hey!" I complained.

"Translation device?" Gon asked. Suddenly, everyone's eyes were on me. I lowered my head with a pout.

"Well, it would make sense... I mean she's from another world." Kurapika said, stroking his chin.

"So this translation devise lets us understand you?" Crisei asked. I sighed.

"Yeah, and me understand you."

"So without it you can't understand us?" Gon asked.

"I think we just confirmed that..." Crisei said, looking down at Gon. Gon smiled sheepishly, letting out a small laugh.

"Oh, hey..." Gon started. He started explaining to us what hew as talking to Gotoh about before we left.

"Yeah, he used that trick on me before," Killua said once Gon finished. "Once you know the secret, it's so simple, it'll make you mad."

"Secret?" I asked, thinking about it in my head. Might he have used Nen? No, Killua doesn't know about Nen, so it couldn't be...

"Huh? Really?" Gon asked as well. Kurapika snatched the coin that Gon was flipping in the air as we walked.

"I'm assuming this is was what he did," Kurapika said as he flipped the coin and slowly caught it in his left hand. "Which hand?"

"Left." Gon replied. Kurapika opened his hands to show it was actually in his right. "Eh! How?"

"I believe Gotoh actually had 2 coins. He hid a coin in his right hand, while flipping the other. He then let us sees him grab the coin using his left hand. But before asking us which hand held the coin, He slid the coin in his left hand into his sleeve, leaving the coin in his right hand." Kurapika responded. I face-palmed. Of course... Just simple trickery. No Nen involved.

"You got it." Killua said.

"That really makes me mad." Gon said, puffed up cheeks in anger. I laughed at his response.

It was nice to be back with my friends.

* * *

**Alright, more translations if you're interested... Or if you want to stay in the dark like Basil then don't read. :P Here you are:**

**Sore wa oso sugimasu. Korera no santtsu wa sudeni sarimashita. Anata no seru ni modorimasu: It is too late. Those four have already left. You will return to your cell**

**Anata wa dōyō ni on'nanoko o nokoshimasu: You will leave the girl in the same way**

**Tondemo nai. Ore wa nokoshite imasu. Basil wa oretoisshoni kite imasu: No way. I am leaving. Basil is coming with me**

**Ore no hōhō no uchi: Out of my way**

**Anata no me wa ima totemo tsumetaidesu: Your eyes are very cold now**

**Tara oretachi ga nokoshi...Ore wa anata o shūsei shimasu: Once we leave... I will fix you**


	33. Chapter 33

**Alright, next chapter! I'm working on them a lot because school is ending within a couple of weeks, so I have quite a lot of free time to spend writing and drawing and planning! XD And when Summer Break starts I might be uploading new chapters quite often! :P Well, I'm breaking off of the storyline here again, sorry. But it's for the sake of story development. This chapter's quote is by Basil! XD**

**GracefulLeopard - Haha, thanks~... Oh yeah, I wrote in Japanese, but I did that because it's an anime and I was too lazy to write random words for Hunterian... I figure they speak a weird language since the characters aren't Japanese, so just imagine it a different language. :P And her translation devise wont break again, but it will have problems~ XD**

**KaileySpitler - Thank you! I hope to stay on a roll! XD Aw, thank you. My biggest concern is trying to get personalities down and have them stay consistent. It makes me happy to hear I'm doing it well. :P**

**Arcana The Wolf - It's fine! It's fine! XD Um, it's called practice, watching lots of anime, rewatching episodes, helpful betas, and a touch of google translate. :P Well, her translation devise just fixed out from getting hit with the bullwhip. Surgical overload. The butlers just had to reattach some wires or something, restart it... I didn't want to write that, nor all the failed attempts where she spoke their language but they didn't speak hers and vice versa. Haha, but it was funny though. '"Hey, Basil, is it working?" I smiled. "Ah! Killua I can understand you now!" Killua turned to the blonde butler next to him with a frown. "It's still not working. Try that red wire."' Pff... XD Actually that's funny... Too bad. :P Ah! I want to post them! I'll post them at the beginning of the next chapter. KK? Yeah... Basil is pretty... Special. :P**

**SlightlyYandereMelissa - ****Um, it's called practice, watching lots of anime, rewatching episodes, helpful betas, and a touch of google translate. :P Killua: Am NOT! DX**

* * *

**"Sometimes life throws something at you, and you wonder what the heck it was thinking. Sometimes it's something you can only dream about, and you don't know what to do with it. It seems terrible, but it's only when it's taken away you realize what you had, and you wish for those dreams to return." - Basil Castus**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"It's great to see you all!" I said as soon as we left the mansion. "I can't believe you actually managed to come!"_

_"I can't believe you actually ran after Killua," Leorio replied with an angry tone. I shrugged. I turned as I felt a tapping on my shoulder, and Crisei, whose head was turned away from me, handed me a Hunter License with my name on it. I gasped happily, immediately taking it._

_"You should've seen Basil!" Killua said with a laugh. "Her translation device broke and she was speaking in a weird language!" My face turned pink._

_"H-hey!" I complained._

_"Translation device?" Gon asked. Suddenly, everyone's eyes were on me. I lowered my head with a pout._

_"Well, it would make sense... I mean she's from another world." Kurapika said, stroking his chin._

_"So this translation devise lets us understand you?" Crisei asked. I sighed._

_"Yeah, and me understand you."_

_"So without it you can't understand us?" Gon asked._

_"I think we just confirmed that..." Crisei said, looking down at Gon. Gon smiled sheepishly, letting out a small laugh._

_"Oh, hey..." Gon started. He started explaining to us what hew as talking to Gotoh about before we left._

_"Yeah, he used that trick on me before," Killua said once Gon finished. "Once you know the secret, it's so simple, it'll make you mad."_

_"Secret?" I asked, thinking about it in my head. Might he have used Nen? No, Killua doesn't know about Nen, so it couldn't be..._

_"Huh? Really?" Gon asked as well. Kurapika snatched the coin that Gon was flipping in the air as we walked._

_"I'm assuming this is was what he did," Kurapika said as he flipped the coin and slowly caught it in his left hand. "Which hand?"_

_"Left." Gon replied. Kurapika opened his hands to show it was actually in his right. "Eh! How?"_

_"I believe Gotoh actually had 2 coins. He hid a coin in his right hand, while flipping the other. He then let us sees him grab the coin using his left hand. But before asking us which hand held the coin, He slid the coin in his left hand into his sleeve, leaving the coin in his right hand." Kurapika responded. I face-palmed. Of course... Just simple trickery. No Nen involved._

_"You got it." Killua said._

_"That really makes me mad." Gon said, puffed up cheeks in anger. I laughed at his response._

_It was nice to be back with my friends._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

Click!

Everyone gathered around to see the picture that had been taken by the fountain.

I stood slightly beside Kura, arms folded in front of me with a smile, while Killua had his arm hooked around Gon's neck. Kurapika stood calmly behind us with a smile, while Leorio made a peace sign. Crisei had his arm on Kurapika's shoulder and his hand on my head. I smiled at the picture, then turned to Gon. "You'll have to get me a copy of that," I told him. He nodded with a smile.

"Sure," Gon replied. Then the three of us hurried to get on the train.

The train ride was loud with everyone talking and sharing stories. I got to hear how freaked out everyone was about me and Killua. I told them about my trip to the carnival and laughed at their jealous faces.

"Though I need to leave Markham soon," I told them as we reached our destination. "Staying there too long isn't such a good idea."

"Why not?" Crisei asked. Gon nodded, curious as well.

"It's your parents, isn't it?" Kura asked, fists clenched in restrained rage. I hesitantly nodded.

"If I stay there too long they might find me." I looked down at the floor of the train as everyone started to look a little sullen. As I stared at the floor my eyes narrowed. "This floor is so dirty. They really need to clean it." Suddenly everyone was laughing. I looked up, looking at everyone with a confused look on my face. "What?"

"Only you would say that, Basil!" Killua said with a smirk. I grinned.

Sooner than later it was our stop and the six of us got off. "Then I shall depart now." Kurapika said. Everyone turned to him.

"Huh?" Gon asked.

"We managed to see Killua again, so I'm finished here. I'll need money to participate in the auction. So I shall search for a patron to employ me as a Hunter." Kurapika explained.

"Really… Well I guess I'll go home too." Leorio said.

"Eh? You too?" Gon slightly complained.

"I haven't given up my dream of becoming a doctor. If I'm accepted to medical school, I can use this to pay those stupid fees." He held up his hunter license. "I'll have to go back and start cramming."

"Ok, good luck then." Gon said with a pout.

"Guess we're all splitting up," Crisei said. "I need to go home too. If I don't come up with an excuse soon my mom's going to give me an earful..."

"Momma's boy," Killua mumbled to himself, though Crisei managed to hear it loud and clear with his sharp ears.

"What was that?!" Crisei yelled, racing after Killua who was now running from him. I laughed at the sight, but then looked down in slight worry.

"Are you leaving too?" Kurapika asked me. I turned to the Kurta with a small smile.

"Yeah, I need to go find Kai-san and tell him about my adventure so far," I replied. "I'm sure he's already heard about the goings on, but I want to talk to him in person. Plus I need to train to become stronger." Kurapika nodded.

"Aw, Basil!" Gon said, glomping me into a hug.

"Hey, we can't all be together all the time!" Basil said. "But we'll see each other again!"

"Yeah," Crisei said as he came over. Leorio nodded.

"Until we meet again." Leorio said.

"Which will be…" Kurapika continued.

"September first, in Yorknew city!" Everyone said together, putting their hands in the center.

"Bye!" Gon said as everyone went their separate ways. I waved back to him.

"Bye!" I replied, following after Kura. "Hey, don't mind if I join you for a bit, Nii-san? Since we're headed the same way for now?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"No, go ahead." He replied with a smile. I grinned, grabbing his hand. A slight blush came to Kurapika's cheeks, but he didn't object to it.

* * *

We rode the same train together, chatting for a while until Kurapika got off. Then, I was left alone. The smile slowly left my cheeks as I stared out the window, city after forest after city going by as I made my way to the ocean. I stared down at the hunter license in my hand, twirling it as I stared at the front and back.

A hunter. I was a hunter now. I could help people. But before I could help them, I needed to help myself.

As the train came to a stop I quickly got off, shoving the license in my pocket. I looked around before deciding to head to the docks. I knew Kai-san would be here. If he wasn't, I could ask around.

As I spotted the sails poking above the roofs of the buildings I smiled, heart rate rising in anticipation as my steps quickened. How long had it been? Almost a month? I didn't know. As I turned around the corner I looked for that familiar large brown boat of my adoptive father's. I didn't see it, and my smile turned to a frown. I walked over to a man who was tying his boat to the dock, looking around all the while. As I neared him he started to look up, and then stood up straight, wiping his hands with a rag as he took a few steps towards me.

"Can I help you?" He asked rather curiously. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Kaijinmaru," I replied. The man gave it some thought, placing two fingers on his chin.

"Kai? Hm, yeah, I think I know him. Why you looking for him?"

"He's my father, I just passed the Hunter Exam and I wanted to see him." The man's eyes widened at the sudden news.

"Your father? I didn't know old Kai had children, let alone a pretty young thing like you." I blushed at the complement. "Yeah, I'm sorry but he left yesterday morning. I think he was headed to the next port over." I nodded my thanks.

"Now I just have to find a way to get over to him..." I mumbled to myself softly as I looked over the ever-ending waters in front of me, but it seems that the guy caught the whiff of it.

"Hm, well I can give you a ride."

"Really?" I asked as I stared back at him, my mouth slowly turning to a smile, amazed at his generosity.

"Yeah. I was planning on heading off anyways. You said you're a Hunter? At your age? Plus Kaijinmaru's daughter... You must have a lot of stories. You can entertain me." I nodded. "We'll be headed off in a bit, I just need to get some supplies. Just wait in the ship." I nodded again, turning and hopping from the dock over the water and into the ship. I placed my hands in my pockets and looked around, walking slowly as I explored around the said ship.

It was a lot smaller than Kai's ship. It had a lighter color to it, but it was covered in dust. Well, not enough that it was noticable, but I sure noticed it, thanks to mending Kai's ship back then. I decided right there and then I was to clean this ship until it sparkled shamelessly.

I smiled as I easily found a mop and a bucket and started to scrub. If I didn't practice my skills would start slacking. Plus, it was the least I could do for this nice man who'd decided to take me to the next dock. Even if Kai-san wasn't there either it wouldn't hurt, and I'd be right behind him.

It was a while until the man came back with a large sack full of something. He smiled as he sat it down inside the ship and stared at the deck with wide eyes. "Hey, you didn't have to clean it," he started. After a bit he continued, "But hey, I'm not complaining." I looked up at him with a smile. I'd only had enough time to clean the deck and the surrounding areas, but at least it was something. I stood, placing my hands on my hips.

"Nah, it's no problem. I don't mind cleaning. Plus I love boats, and I can't help myself." The man nodded as he untied the boat and hopped in, pushing it off with his foot and hurrying to the helm. I followed him, curious to see more of the ship.

"By the way, I'm Fuzen. So, I take it as you're Kaijinmaru's daughter you know a lot about ships," The man started. I nodded.

"Not everything, but I know a lot." He smiled.

"Would you like to take the wheel?" He suddenly asked rather proudly.

"Ah! No, I couldn't... I don't know where we're headed!"

"Just keep her headed southeast, we'll get there!" I grinned as I decided to take the wheel. How great it felt to be back here... Out on the sea, salt in the air, wind whipping my hair... I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Sure, I kind of missed my new friends, but I'd see them soon. I just had to keep my fingers crossed for them, wish for the best. _Gon, Killua, Crisei, Kura, Leorio... I wish you good luck!_

"Hey, make sure to keep your eyes on the sea!" The man laughed heartily. My eyes flung open and I looked down, a grin on my face, then back at the wheel and all the instruments. We were still on course, but he was right. I needed to keep focused on the sea currents.

"Yes sir!" I replied with a laugh of my own. The man shook his head and went down below deck. I continued to watch the sparkling blueness of the ocean, calmness washing over me like I had no care in the world. I started humming, until after a bit words started to flow out of my mouth.

"I wanna move with the seasons  
And go with the flow  
And take it easy and let stuff go

I wanna sleep like a baby  
Rise with the sun  
And kick it all back and get nothing done

I wanna make this day  
The longest day  
With a warmth that  
Delivers happiness

If only for today  
I wanna be, the girl who got away  
The lover who really loved  
The dancer who danced  
To the last song

Don't wanna take sides  
Don't wanna make sense  
Of pounds and pence

I want to be alone  
I don't wanna hide  
Don't wanna be talked over  
Or walked upon

I wanna think the heart  
Is bigger than the head  
Wanna follow you, but not be led

If only for today  
I wanna be, the girl who got away  
The lover who really loved  
The dancer who danced  
To the last song

I know what it's like  
To be passed over  
To go unnoticed  
To be clumsy get things wrong  
And I know what it's like  
To arrive too late  
To be told to leave  
To be walked upon

If only for today  
I wanna be, the girl who got away  
The lover who really loved  
The dancer who danced  
To the last song

If only for today  
I wanna be, the girl who got away  
The lover who really loved  
The dancer who danced  
To the last song."

I sighed as the last of the words left my mouth, a small exuberant feeling in my chest. I looked up as some seagulls squawked and I waved at them. They circled around the ship for a bit before flying off.

And as I stared up at the sky, eyes tracing after their fleeting figures disappearing into the light of the fading sun, my lips trembled and I closed my eyes in sadness.

"I wish life could be like this forever."

* * *

**Alright, so that's that. :P Sorry, but Basil's not going to Heaven's Arena. Honestly, I didn't know that was going to happen until while I was writing the end of chapter 30. I was actually planning on her going, but I realized it was very unnecessary. You know, since the main part of the Heaven's Arena arc is relaxing, relationships, learning Nen... Basil already knows Nen, what she needs is time away from the group and do her own thing for a bit. She'll catch up with them some other time. :P**

**Fun Fact: If you haven't guessed already this fanfic is based on the 2011 version. In the 1999 version the Captain's SHIP's name was Kaijinmaru. That's where I got the name. (Since he had none :P)**

**Fun Fact 2: Basil's quotes are the only places you'll find Basil's last name. I'm not putting it in the story, well, this one at least. :P**

**Anyways, so I'm happy you all like this story! I really enjoy writing it! Loves you all, and have some nice little choco-balls, courtesy of Killua's choco-robots! XD Hurry and get them before Killua finds out! :P**


	34. Chapter 34

**Next chappie! Two in a day again! XD I must be magic... :P Oh, and since I have gotten many requests and am even getting annoyed at myself and my OCD, here's the results. (Trying not to think of what number chapter this is... DX)  
**

**1) How many chapters until they start to have feelings towards each other? The winner is... SlightlyYandereMelissa with 'after 4'!**

**2) What arc they will have their first kiss in? The winner is... Sirenightsparrow with 'no kiss'!**

**3) Who will start to have feelings towards the other first? The winner is... SlightlyYandereMelissa, GracefulLeopard, Liz, and Arcana The Wolf with 'Killua'!**

**Please, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't hate me for the answers! You'll understand as the story progresses! :| Honestly, I'm not much of a planner so that's why I was holding off on the results, so I honestly didn't know how it was going to turn out. But now I have some plans, which make life oh so terrible. XD As for the prize, I'm giving it to SlightlyYandereMelissa for getting two of them right! XD PM me for your prize!**

* * *

**"Life experience is what defines our character, even if it means getting your heart broken or being lied to. You know, you need the downs to appreciate the ups. Going on the adventure or taking that risk is important." - Nev Schulman**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_I sighed as the last of the words left my mouth, a small exuberant feeling in my chest. I looked up as some seagulls squawked and I waved at them. They circled around the ship for a bit before flying off._

_And as I stared up at the sky, eyes tracing after their fleeting figures disappearing into the light of the fading sun, my lips trembled and I closed my eyes in slight sadness._

_"I wish life could be like this forever."_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Thanks for letting me rest, I'm so tired." I said to the man named Fuzen.

"Eh, no problem. Girls need their beauty sleep, do they not?" I smiled and nodded at the man. He waved as he walked out of the small room, shutting the door afterwards.

I didn't like lying to him, but there was a few more hours until we were supposed to reach our destination. I wanted to take that time to go to my world and do something, maybe even practice my True Barrier for once. I'd just have to find a new secluded area outside town for that though, since I'd be practicing with my Ren.

I sat in silence on the slightly swinging hammock, staring at the ceiling of the room for a while. Now that I thought about it, how exactly would my new Hatsu abilities work? I mean, the other ones, the Ten, Ren, Zetsu, even Gyo and In which I hadn't even started on, were different because Kai-san was there to explain them and tell me how they worked. He explained a _bit_ about Hatsu, like what it was and how it worked, but he said the rest I'd have to figure out on my own. I closed my eyes with a sigh. _I guess I'll just have to practice and see what happens._

And with that thought, I drifted off, letting my body slip in that familiar sensation of passing between worlds.

However, this time...

This time I felt an odd switch, like gears had been pushed way too close together and really didn't want to move. I could feel that brittle grinding sensation on my skin even as I woke up in my world, fading as I woke.

* * *

I stood, brushing off my arms with an unconscious shiver as I felt the weird feeling disperse. _I wonder what that was?_ I thought, staring at my body in confusion. I finally shrugged, deciding not to give it too much thought as 'whatever happens happens'. I smiled finally as I thought of the same words that had left Killua's mouth only days ago. At some point I'd have to check up on my friends, see what's going on. Kai-san would know how they were doing when I got to him. I'd be able to ask him what had happened with the others; as well as the other applicants who had passed the exam. Minus Illumi. I didn't want to bother knowing anything about that fudge-head.

Friends... It seemed to roll off my tongue in a weird way, almost foreign, but at the same time it seemed like the word was a friend itself, like it was always there for me; even when I thought that 'friends' would never be something I had, now I knew even I had the chance to be close to people.

I looked up at the clock as I walked by the familiar park. It was night time in the Nen world, however here it was still light out. Only 6:23. I had four hours here. That was plenty of time to start running and never look back.

So I ran. I started a slow jog, aimed for the road out of town. I stuck to the sidewalk, but once I made it to the outskirts I brushed off to the side and into the trees and fields.

It hadn't crossed my mind, but I realized another thing that was different about the two worlds was that there were a lot of roads here, in my world. It was hard, even far from the towns and cities, to find a nice open area that wasn't owned by some farmer. In the Nen world, sure there were a lot of cars, but not as many roads as there was here.

So I continued to jog until I reached a tall forest area. I knew it belonged to some guy maybe a mile away, but it was a forest area, and the only house I saw was a tiny speck in the horizon on a hill. I sighed as I looked around. Cows, black and white spotted, large animals, stood around, licking their noses and staring at me. I tried to ignore them as I walked towards the forest. They ran away, startled as I went on.

I made my way into the forest, then paused as I turned to look back at the cows who just stood where they'd stopped, still staring at me. I shook my head as I continued on, deeper and deeper into the tall trees.

I finally made my way to a safe looking spot and sat down, letting my legs rest. I didn't have a watch, unfortunately, but if I was to guess I'd been running for three hours. I stared up through the trees, but the branches were far too dense to see the sky above. I stood and grabbed a lower branch, then heaved myself up to climb up the tree. When I got to the top I stared out at the sunset, the sun being barely visible on the horizon. Yes, it had been around three hours according to the sun's position. I had an hour left to practice.

I quickly scaled down the tree, then landed with a soft thud on the ground, letting my arms out in front of me for balance. _Alright! Now to practice!_

I let myself calm as I got my bearings, then focused on my Ten. For my True Barrier technique it'd be a combination of all the Nen Hatsu types; a bridge way to the rest of my techniques, whatever they would be. So I'd have to come up with a way to use it.

Conjurer; to create the barrier itself.

Manipulator; to manipulate my Nen around me in a sphere.

Enhancer; to strengthen the barrier.

Emitter; to have the barrier expand farther around me.

Transmuter; to make the barrier solid.

I'd work on one at a time. First thing first, the Conjurer part. That would be pretty simple, just like Ren. It'd be just a little different.

I closed my eyes and focused on my Ten. Now I just needed to expand it, like Ren. I saw it in my mind, pushing out, bursting around me. I felt it, like Ren. No, it was Ren. I was just doing Ren. I opened my eyes as I furrowed my brows, staring at the ground. I needed it not to burst out, I needed it more to just appear around me... Not from my Ten but another layer altogether. A second Ten. I smiled as I closed my eyes and imagined it again, though this time a second layer, like skin. Another layer of protection around me.

And when I opened my eyes and stared at my hand, sweat beading down my face as I tried to maintain it, I stared at my hand, the only part of my body, including my arm, that had two layers of Ten covering it. After a couple seconds it dropped, and I balled my fingers into a fist, big smile on my face.

Now to get it to conceal my entire body.

* * *

My eyes fluttered open into a world of dark. _Where am I?_ I sat up, head suddenly throbbing as I looked around, confusion taking over me as I tried to see what was around me, but to no avail. I was surrounded in complete darkness. Was I back in the Nen world? I didn't know. I started to panic on the spot. "Hello?" I called out. No answer. "Kai-san? Fuzen? Anyone?" Still no answer. "Where am I?!" My heartbeat was racing. I felt nothing around me, like emptiness, like a void.

"-sil..." I heard a whisper from the distance.

"Hello?!" I called out.

"Yo-... ...-eave..." This time it came from behind me.

"I can't hear you!"

"-tching... ...don-... ...-toy."

"Hey!" Suddenly everything around me shifted, and a light came shining through a door. I could see again, and unfortunately the sight was unpleasant.

I was in a stone room, in the dark, with a reinforced iron door in front of me. The only light came through the bars near the top of the door. _What the heck?_ I walked over to the door, frown registered on my face as I tried to stand up as high as my legs would let me to see out the small openings. _Where am I? Last thing I remember... I was sleeping on Fuzen's ship. I timed it perfectly. I should have woken up as we were getting to dock._ I looked down to see my Nen was still working, but I was still stuck in confusion.

"Hey, is the girl in there?" I heard come from out the door.

"Yeah, last time I checked she was still sleeping." Came a gruff reply from right outside the door.

"Still? Girls sure can sleep. Let me in there." My eyes widened as I turned my back to the wall beside the door, quieting myself. I heard keys jingle and move, making clicking and crunching noises until finally... A click that signaled the door was unlocked.

"Alright Sir, go on in." I was holding my breath as the door opened, letting light flood in. A shadow was cast along the ground as a tall man walked in, only taking a few steps. He had a narrow face and short, brown, slicked back hair with sunglasses sitting on top. He wore pretty average clothes, but had a thick leather jacket on. I saw his smirk turn into a frown as he realized I wasn't sleeping in the middle of the hard floor, but I was already pushing out behind him and running out the door.

I didn't exactly get what was going on with the situation right then; but whatever it was, I had better get moving, quick!

* * *

**Cliff hanger! Sorry... ^^ Not really. Though I am really sorry with how short the chapter is... I was actually expecting it to be longer but you know... Words... They don't always... Work. At least it made it in my preferable 2000-3000 words per chapter quota. Well, in content anyway... :P**

**Welp, Basil's in trouble. Or is she...? ^^ Who knows! I do. :P You'll see by the next chapter! XD**


	35. Chapter 35

**Next chapter! Really sorry, I got the internet taken for the rest of the month so I had to hold off on posting.**

**RaNDoem - Well you won't have to wait long! XD You're welcome! I tend to update pretty fast unless I'm busy. ^^**

**Liz - It's fine. You should totally get an account, then you don't have to bother checking and just whenever you look at your email you can be like, 'Oh hey, another chapter has been uploaded! Finally!' Or whatever. I mean, I don't _think_ there's a rule that states you _have_ to post fanfics if you have an account.**

**kri - You'll see near the end. :P**

**KaileySpitler - Well words are words, and they'll be words until they're not words, which'll be next to never. I just wished it could've been longer. :P**

**Nameless Angel 00 - In a way. :P**

**jonica77 - I'm glad you think so! XD It's alright, I don't mind too much. As long as you like it, that's all I need to know! XD**

* * *

**"It's like Forrest Gump said, 'Life is like a box of chocolates.' Your career is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get. But everything you get is going to teach you something along the way and make you the person you are today. That's the exciting part - it's an adventure in itself." - Nick Carter**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_I was in a stone room, in the dark, with a reinforced iron door in front of me. The only light came through the bars near the top of the door. What the heck? I walked over to the door, frown registered on my face as I tried to stand up as high as my legs would let me to see out the small openings. Where am I? Last thing I remember... I was sleeping on Fuzen's ship. I timed it perfectly. I should have woken up as we were getting to dock. I looked down to see my Nen was still working, but I was still stuck in confusion._

_"Hey, is the girl in there?" I heard come from out the door._

_"Yeah, last time I checked she was still sleeping." Came a gruff reply from right outside the door._

_"Still? Girls sure can sleep. Let me in there." My eyes widened as I turned my back to the wall beside the door, quieting myself. I heard keys jingle and move, making clicking and crunching noises until finally... A click that signaled the door was unlocked._

_"Alright Sir, go on in." I was holding my breath as the door opened, letting light flood in. A shadow was cast along the ground as a tall man walked in, only taking a few steps. He had a narrow face and short, brown, slicked back hair with sunglasses sitting on top. He wore pretty average clothes, but had a thick leather jacket on. I saw his smirk turn into a frown as he realized I wasn't sleeping in the middle of the hard floor, but I was already pushing out behind him and running out the door._

_I didn't exactly get what was going on with the situation right then; but whatever it was, I had better get moving, quick!_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I guess my brain was so focused on escaping I hadn't clearly thought this through. I had just easily figured, man walks in room, I dart out door behind him and continue running. I had totally forgotten the guard was there, and most likely blocking the door.

I ran face first into his large belly, falling backwards on my butt and rubbing my nose. I glared up at the man with the furrowed brows and big bushy mustache. "Where do you think you're going?" He threatened, aiming a knife at me. I felt arms reach from behind me and pick me up, lifting me from the ground.

"Let go!" I yelled, struggling as I was suspended in air, legs kicking out, trying to hit the man behind me.

"Be a good girl and get back in your room," the man simply said as he set me down back into the dark room. I quickly flung around.

"Screw you. Who are you? Where am I?" I spat at him. He grinned at me.

"Such strong language, you'd better watch your mouth my dear Basil." I blinked back at that statement.

"How do you know my name?" I asked suspiciously.

"Ah," he started, waving his finger at me. "That's for me to know and you to find out." I growled. How much other stuff did he know about me? He was really starting to piss me off. "Oh! But now that you're awake you can answer some questions."

"Questions?" I asked, preparing myself if any opening showed. I didn't want to hurt the guy, he was just really annoying; not to mention creepy.

"Yes, questions. You see, I need to know if I was scammed or not," he sighed. His words made me relax slightly. Scammed? What did he mean? I crossed my arms in wary.

"First answer my question," I said in reply. I really needed to know where I was. I didn't like the predicament I was in, and this place somewhat reminded me of the Zolyck's place. My eyes darted around quickly before settling back on the creepy tall man. Was I even in the Nen world?

"You don't get to make dem-" The guard started to shout before getting cut off by the other man.

"Shut up Pantu."

"Yes Sir." The two sat there in silence for a second, the guard's head hung slightly in shame and the tall man looking down on him with a disgusted glare. He finally turned back to me and a smug, crazy grin made it's way to his face.

"Of course, you may ask one question, and then it is my turn."

"Where am I?" I asked without hesitation.

"Hm? _That's_ your question?" He asked almost surprised. He shrugged, then smiled. "Ah, forgive me; my name is Kakien Lewt, eldest son of the Lewt family."

"Never heard of you."

"Sure you have." His eyes glinted slightly. "Oh, don't worry; you're still on the Yorbian Continent. As long as you behave yourself you don't have much to worry." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding._ So I'm still in the Yorbian Continent. Doesn't tell me much about my location, but at least I know I'm back in the Nen world._ Now I just had to escape; not to mention why I was here in the first place. "Now it's my turn to ask a few questions... One, are you a hunter? Don't lie, I can tell."

"Of course..." I reached into my pocket, but there was nothing there. I patted my pockets again, but it was nowhere.

"Excellent," the man said, ignoring my grievous searching and clapping his hands together.

"Where is it?" I asked him, rather angry.

"Hm?" He mumbled again. "Oh, don't worry, you won't need it. Now, Basil, you're a fisherman's daughter and you seem to have many..." He waved his hand in the air in circles as he attempted to try and find whatever word it was he was searching for.

"Capabilities, Sir," the guard said quietly.

"Yes, capabilities... You seem to have many capabilities in the realm of fighting I would guess, yes?"

"No," I replied halfheartedly. It was only a half lie. I had fighting abilities, but I wasn't a fighter. Plus, I wasn't a fisherman's daughter; I was a police officer's daughter. Even though I knew stuff about boats and had survival skills, a 'no' was not really a lie. However it wasn't telling the truth either.

"You're lying."

"No I'm not," I replied.

"Oh yes you are. Let's see, it's not a yes either, is it? Ah, yes, I see..." He said to himself as he stared at me in thought. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze as I continued to look for a way out. He really creeped me out... "Yes, yes, 5,500,000 Jenny was totally worth you." I froze. Five... Over five million Jenny?!

"What are you-" I was cut off as he walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

"I'll be seeing you soon, my dear Basil."

Fudge.

I think I was sold into a slave business.

* * *

I paced back and forth in my cell. At least I had room to move. I wasn't tied up. Unfortunately the guard, Pantu, was right outside the door. It was impossible for me to escape with the little opportunities I had. I didn't think my Nen could help me with the reinforced iron on the door (I'd tried and so far it'd only made a small dent), nor make me small enough to escape through the small openings they had for air or food.

"Damn it!" I said, punching the wall. I created a huge crack in the bricks.

"Keep it down in there!" Pantu yelled, however I ignored him. I stared at my slightly bruised hand in bewilderment. Using Ten created a huge crack in the bricks. Using an insane amount of Ten built up and transferred to Ren would shatter them. I was sure using a strengthened Ren on the door would break it enough I could get out.

I walked over to the door, placing my hand on it. If this didn't work... I'd be in a lot of trouble.

I built up my Ten, shifting all my Nen to my right hand and wrist. This would leave the rest of my body defenseless, but this way... I might have enough power. I might be able to break it off it's hinges.

I swung my fist at the door, and right as my fist made contact with the door I used my Ren, but only on the Nen built up on my fist. There was a sickening crunch and grind, and the door fell to the ground. The guard, who'd obviously been slacking off, stood up instantly and flung to face me.

"What the heck?! How'd you-" I was already off before said guard could register anything else.

I could hear his footsteps behind me as I ran. They started to fade, then slowed down and quieted to a silence as the somewhat portly man decided to give up the chase. I continued on, trying to find a way out of the maze of this building. So far I hadn't seen any windows. I could guess we were underground.

I groaned as I paused at a hallway branching into two directions. Man, I was really bad at guessing, and even worse at directions. I'd probably end up going in circles before I was anywhere near the exit...

I sighed and took off to the left. I continued to run, but soon came to a slow jog to conserve energy. I was tired out, and using my Ren in such a large amount was tiring.

I looked around, left and right. Doors everywhere, all iron, all closed. No guard in sight. I guess they were short staffed... I snickered inwardly. At least that made it easier to escape; I wouldn't have to worry about running into anyone I might have to fight.

"Wait! Please!" I heard a voice softly almost whisper lightly. I paused, looking around. "Are you free? Are you escaping?" I looked over to see a little face barely peeking up through some of the bars. It was just a little girl, probably only ten. I looked around as I heard some shuffling and more faces popped up through the dimly lit doors. All were female.

"Yeah, are you prisoners here too?" I asked. The little girl nodded as I walked over to the door.

"The crazy old man keeps us locked here for his pleasure," her soft voice replied. "Can you please help us?" I could almost see the tears in her pale blue eyes. The poor girl... All of them.

"Yes, please save us!"

"Help us!"

"Get us out of here!"

"Shh!" I said quickly, flinging my head left and right. The hallway became silent. "Be quiet or they'll hear you!" I paused, biting my lip and turning to the little girl in front of me. "Yeah, I'll try and help. Get as far away from the door as you can, quickly!" The little girl's face disappeared. I built up my Ten again and punched the door, expanding my Ren. _Shit, this'll probably alert everyone as to where I am..._ The door flung off its hinges and the room was open. "Come on, hurry!" The girl ran out, eyes wide in wonder.

"Wow, you're so cool!" She said, following me as I moved to the next door. "You're like magic!" I patted her head with a smile, then slammed my fist into this next door as well. The next girl came out, following after me as well.

"That's what it takes to be a hunter," I replied. "And I'm the best hunter there is."

"What's a hunter?" The girl asked.

"A very strong, independent, responsible, smart, kind, and respectable person." The girl's eyes seemed to widen even more.

"Wow, I want to be a hunter too!" I smiled and knocked down another door, sweat starting to bead down my face in rivets. I grit my teeth. I had to help them! Screw limitations, I'd punch down all these doors until I couldn't manage to squeeze an ounce of Nen out of myself!

"It's dangerous." The girl didn't seem to hear me as the group of girls piling behind me became bigger and chattier. I listened in on their small talk to try and distract me. I only had four doors left here... But who knew how many more were around the next bend and I was exhausted.

"That Lewt guy is so creepy..."

"Lewser is more like it."

"He force-fed me shortbread balls... I won't be able to look at another bread ball again..."

"At least he didn't tie you up on the wall and-"

"Enough!" I said quickly in a hushed tone, but turned my head towards the source of the heard footsteps racing towards us. "Run! Now! As fast as you can!" The girls, young and old, none any older than 17, eeked, running off down the hallway away from me.

"Stop them!" I heard. I turned towards the three guards and the tall Kakien, crazed look on his face. He smiled as the guards ran closer and closer, but he slowed down. "Ah, Basil, you could have escaped. Why stop and use all your power to free all my kittens?" I panted, managing to stand my ground as the rest of the girls ran out of view. This man was sick.

"You're sick," I said. His grin just seemed to widen as the four came even closer. I needed to stop them! I didn't have enough energy to fight!

I fell to my knees. "Leave her," Kakien said as the guards had almost reached me. "Go after the others." I looked up. They were only a couple feet from me.

I placed my hands out as I closed my eyes. _Focus... Focus, Basil..._ When I opened my eyes the men had stopped right in front of me, hands frozen in place in the air, pressed up against an invisible barrier. Kakien had an enraged look on his face as he walked up, placing his hand on the barrier as well. He looked down at me, nose scrunched as his hand turned into a fist. He punched the wall. I flinched back as I felt vibrations along my skin, but the barrier didn't budge.

Conjurer, Manipulator, Enhancer, Emitter, Transmuter... Success.

I managed to stand back up onto my feet. I needed to get out of here before it fell.

I turned and ran, sticking my tongue out at the four before falling into a sprint after the girls.

I could still feel the vibrations on my skin as I ran as the four continued to punch the barrier. And as I got farther away, I could feel the cracks starting, then the shattering as it broke.

But I, as well as the other girls, had already gotten a head start.

* * *

**So now we know what happened to Basil! XD**

**Just a clarification, the technique Basil used is NOT Ko, since Ko uses Zetsu to shift all Nen to the one body part. She still had Nen on her body to make sure she didn't enter Zetsu and have a violent reaction. The technique she had just learned was similar to Ryu. Ryu is basically Gyo on a different part than the eyes, but what she did was Ryu then added Ren to make more of an explosive punch with added power. She'll learn that later when she finds Kai.**

**Now onto the next chapter!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Alright, another chapter! Thank you everyone for all your support! This story is going by at an awesome rate, and I can't wait until I get farther! Let's see... If I were to guess I'm almost halfway through? I'm guessing this fanfic will be around 100 chapters... Or maybe less. I don't know, that's just an estimate.**

**Alright, so I wanted to give a shoutout to all my regular reviewers! It means a lot to hear your voices and I thank you so much! Thank you to GracefulLeopard, kri, BizzyLizy, Sirenightsparrow, RaNDoem, KaileySpitler, Amu Wants Noodles, SlightlyYandereMelissa, and Arcana The Wolf for your regular, or almost regular :3, reviews! And a big special thank you to Zeladious for reading through and checking and editing my chapters! It really means a lot! XD**

**RaNDoem - You'll see, just read this chapter! XD You'll see what happened.**

**BizzyLizy - Great! That's awesome! Yeah, why not? XD Basil shall kick some butt! You're welcome!**

**kri - That's what I was going for! The creepy pervertish type. DX Yesh, I hate him already, I can't wait until he goes bye-bye. **

**GracefulLeopard - Yup! Though it didn't last for very long and wasn't that strong. If those guys had Nen to back up their punches they would've easily broken through. Haha, you're right on the DOT! You'll see in this chapter. :3 Yup, all the stuff on her was taken. She'll get it back though. XD**

* * *

**"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." - Helen Keller**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Stop them!" I heard. I turned towards the three guards and the tall Kakien, crazed look on his face. He smiled as the guards ran closer and closer, but he slowed down. "Ah, Basil, you could have escaped. Why stop and use all your power to free all my kittens?" I panted, managing to stand my ground as the rest of the girls ran out of view. This man was sick._

_"You're sick," I said. His grin just seemed to widen as the four came even closer. I needed to stop them! I didn't have enough energy to fight!_

_I fell to my knees. "Leave her," Kakien said as the guards had almost reached me. "Go after the others." I looked up. They were only a couple feet from me._

_I placed my hands out as I closed my eyes. Focus... Focus, Basil... When I opened my eyes the men had stopped right in front of me, hands frozen in place in the air, pressed up against an invisible barrier. Kakien had an enraged look on his face as he walked up, placing his hand on the barrier as well. He looked down at me, nose scrunched as his hand turned into a fist. He punched the wall. I flinched back as I felt vibrations along my skin, but the barrier didn't budge._

_Conjurer, Manipulator, Enhancer, Emitter, Transmuter... Success._

_I managed to stand back up onto my feet. I needed to get out of here before it fell._

_I turned and ran, sticking my tongue out at the four before falling into a sprint after the girls._

_I could still feel the vibrations on my skin as I ran as the four continued to punch the barrier. And as I got farther away, I could feel the cracks starting, then the shattering as it broke._

_But I, as well as the other girls, had already gotten a head start._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I panted as I laid on the grass, blue sky above and wind brushing against my skin... I was thoroughly exhausted. The other girls stood around me looking at all the nature and playing around as if naught a care in the world. I could even feel the ocean breeze; we were so close to the sea.

I mean, really, we were literally _very_ close to the sea.

I sat up. Being back outside was cool and all, but now I knew why Kakien didn't have very many guards, let alone a better prisoner system. "Hey, big sis Hunter, what do we do now? Can you do some of that magical stuff to make us a boat?" I looked over at the small blonde girl sadly and shook my head.

We had escaped the underground labyrinth only to end up on a small island not even a mile in every direction. We had no place to go, no place to hide.

"Sorry," I said to the little ten year old. "I can't do things like that. If I had a phone I could call someone, but I don't even have my licence on me anymore."

"There's a phone in the teller's office," A brunette, which I presumed was older than me by a few years, remarked as she walked forward.

"The teller's office?" I repeated. Many of the girls nodded.

"Yeah!" Another spoke up. "They use it to bring food and supplies! You could call for something and then we could steal away on the boat!" Everyone nodded once again, starting to chatter about the said office.

"Shh! Alright, but I don't know where the teller's office is."

"It's right next to the closet," The brunette who'd spoken before said. "And your licence is probably in the closet too. I can take you; I know how to get there." I smiled at her offer.

"Thank you. Everyone else, try and hide in the forest until we get back." I turned to the older girl. "Let's make this quick." She nodded and took off. I followed after her, making sure to first look back at the others who were quickly making their way into the forest before jumping back down into the hole that lead back down into the dark.

"I'm Maki," the girl said once we got to the bottom of the ladder and started off.

"Basil," I replied.

"So you're a Hunter, huh?" I nodded. "My father was a hunter."

"Cool." I had to pause then, having taken a moment to register her words earlier with a surprised look etched onto my face. "Was?"

"Died saving a child from a fire. Said it was an accident. I highly doubt it though."

"I'm sorry..."

"It's not your fault," the girl replied quickly; shaking her head.

"So how'd you end up in a dank place like this... Slave island?" The girl chuckled.

"Slave island? No, you got it wrong. Kakien made this place because he liked younger girls. Has nothing to do with the slave trade. He just picks girls up and throws them here. As long as we follow his orders we got a good life, or whatever you'd call it here." I nodded in understanding. He was more of a kidnapper than a slave trader.

"That fudge-head. I hate his type." I growled under my breath.

"Many do, but no one knows. We're stuck here."

"Well I'm getting all you girls out of here and we're going to expose him for the pedophile he is." The girl nodded, turning her head away from me for a second, shading her face.

"Here it is," she said, pointing to the door as she stopped. I walked in front of her.

"Wait out here, give a shout of someone's coming." The girl chuckled at my protectiveness.

"You sure sound like a Hunter," she started. "I-" she cut herself off, then shook her head with a smile. "Hurry up." I nodded back at her, then flung open the door and hurried into the room.

"Why hello my dear Basil," a very creepy voice said as the lights turned on with a click.

* * *

I tried to move, but the two men on either side of me had my arms in a tight grip. I glared at the man sitting in the wheeled chair in front of me, who just grinned back. "So... You thought you'd break into the teller's office and phone out to get help, right? Well let me tell you, that's not going to happen. None of you, I repeat, NONE OF YOU, will get off this island!" He cackled, head bent away from me, arms bent onto the desk in front of him. Suddenly, his laughter faded and he sat back up, face now straight and serious as he turned to face me. "What, no smart comebacks?" I stayed silent, glaring at him. He finally sighed and stood from his chair. "Now, now, what to do with you..." He bent down in front of me, cupping my chin. I turned, jerking my head away from him.

"Get away from me you pedophile." I saw an angry glint start up in his eyes as he stood straight up, glaring down at me.

"Pedophile? No, no, my kitten you have it all wrong." He grinned. "You see, I never did anything without the girl's permission. Isn't that right my dear Maki?" My eyes widen as the door behind me closes. The older brunette walked around the guards, coming to a stop next to the tall man.

"It's true Basil. Sure he can be a little creepy at times, but he never hurts us, and he lets us do what we want." My mouth stood agape at her words. Wasn't this the same girl who was bad-mouthing him a bit ago?

"Maki... What are you saying?! He throws you in cells and treats you unfairly! Wasn't it you just a bit ago who was telling me how all of you hated him?" Maki's emotionless look turned into a hard glare.

"If you think back to what I said, I never said anything of the sort." I paused at that, thinking back to what she had said earlier. It was true... She'd only said what the rumors were, she had never said that she personally hated him.

"So it was a trap..." I mumbled, head lowering.

"Sorry Basil, but there's no way off this island. We have to rely on Kakien to survive!"

"Ah, that's the spirit my dear Maki!" The said creepizoid exclaimed with a grin. _Damn it, why do I even trust people?_ I thought to myself.

"But why?" I mumbled.

"Because Kakien is-"

"Why would you choose something like that? Your father, he probably ran into that building knowing he wouldn't make it! But why?! To save a child! And did he?"

"Yes, but-"

"But what? I don't see any difference here! You're just taking the easy way, just because you're too afraid that you'll get burned if you risk trying to help. Is that what your father would have wanted?"

"Enough!" Kakien yelled. "Take Basil back to her cell, I'll deal with her later. We need to go find some little runaways." The guards nodded as they turned with me dragging me towards the door. I struggled, but it was no use. I wasn't strong like Killua. I wasn't as durable as Gon. I wasn't as smart as Kura. I had no idea what to do.

And so I stopped struggling as I started to walk down the hallway with the guards instead of against them, head hung in defeat.

However, as we got farther down the hall, footsteps came from behind quickly towards us. The guards stopped to look back, but before they said anything they let go of me, falling down to the ground, unconscious, bumps on their heads. I looked at them in confusion for a second before turning around and seeing Maki standing there, stick in hand and sullen expression as she bowed her head.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "I-I... You were right. I want out of this place. Please, just make sure you don't mess up. We'd all be in such bad trouble!" I just stared at her with a look of pure puzzlement.

"O-OK..."

"Here!" Maki handed me a small leather pouch. I tentatively grabbed it, then looked in. A small smile made its way to my face as I saw my Hunter License and a few other things that were in my pockets before I had woken up here.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Now go! I'll take care of the guards before they wake up, hurry back to the teller's office before Kakien gets back!" She basically pushed me off, and I started to run back the way I'd come.

I didn't even look back.

* * *

"Hello! Is this Kaijinmaru?" I asked politely. I'd finally gotten ahold of the shipyard, and they said Kai-san was there.

"Yeah, who is this?" Came a gruff voice on the other side of the phone.

"Kai-san! It's Basil!"

"Basil? Ah! How are things going my little child?"

"Not good, no time for small chat. Please, I'm on an island in the middle of nowhere! Some pedophile has me and a whole ton of girls locked-" Click. I paused. "Hello? Kai-san?" Silence.

"Oh, you won't be talking to him anytime soon." I flung around to see Kakien standing near the door, the already-cut wire at his feet and scissors in his hand. He had a smug look on his face. "Basil, Basil, you're so much trouble. Guards!"

"They won't be coming anytime soon." I turned from Kakien's startled look to the familiar brunette next to the door behind him. She gave me a smile and a thumbs up. I smiled back.

"Yup, Kakien, you're all alone now." I could see the sweat start down the tall man's face, but he suddenly straightened his body with a crazed grin. He suddenly grabbed Maki, pulling at her hair as he held her in front of him, sharp scissors to her neck.

"Oh, Maki, I thought you were such a good girl. Too bad." Maki's eyes widened in terror. My fists clenched in anger as I took a step forward. "Stop!" Kakien yelled in desperation. "Come any closer and she gets it!"

"Why do people like you always have to act like this?" I asked him, my Ten starting to flicker into Ren uncontrollably. Kakien started to back up, hitting the wall and flinching. "Let her go now. Or I. Will. Murder. You." It was not a real threat. I was lying, but my Nen said otherwise. I could see it in Kakien's eyes, he knew it. He knew I was lying. But he was still scared. So was Maki, but I was trying hard not to aim my Ren at her.

Kakien let go of the girl and fell to the ground. She ran away behind me towards the desk to hide. I walked over until I stood over him. He looked at me with a look of terror before putting his hands up in surrender.

"It's not my fault! The guy! Yeah! It was that Fuzen! He practically threw you at me!"

"Uh-huh."

"No! It's true! He said he didn't want to deal with you and he needed the money!" I glared at him for a second and he flinched back. "It's true! I swear on my life! I didn't want to deal with a hunter, I knew you were dangerous, but he insisted you weren't a threat! Please, I'll let you have a boat and you can leave, but please don't hurt me!"

"What about the other girls?"

"You can have Maki too!" I glared at him. "I don't have any bigger a boat!" I thought about his offer. I could take Maki and maybe another girl or two, and then come back later for the others. But by that time Kakien would probably be off and finding a new hideout.

"No deal."

"What?!" The man shouted in fury. I sighed.

Kai-san would be here soon. I knew he would. He was a hunter. He would find me.

"Come on Maki," I said as my Ren fell back into Ten. I looked back at the girl who quickly nodded and hurried out from under the desk, then followed me as we started out, leaving Kakien to his miserable wallowing.

When we got up, Maki had been silent the entire time. We'd gotten to the grassy exterior of the island and not a person was in sight.

"Hey! Everyone, we're back! You can come out now!" Maki yelled. No answer. The two of us looked at each other in slight worry until a familiar blonde peeked her head out of a thick bush. A huge wide-mouthed smile made its way to her face and her head disappeared before she came out running around the bush. The rest of the girls soon followed after her.

"Don't worry, help is on the way," I said with a smile. All the girls cheered in pure relief. I looked up at the sky with uncertainty though.

_I hope._

* * *

**Hey, anyone want to see a smexy Killua-like person singer? I mean, really, watch the music video and OMG, it's Killua if he were in real life and a singer. It's called Crooked by G Dragon. I WANT TO KNOW WHO WATCHES IT! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THE GUY! My friend and I will be very happy! XD**

**Honestly I don't care too much for the song, but I mean, wow. It's friggen Kil.**

**I know I've said this before, but I love you all! Hope to hear from you soon! XOXO**


	37. Chapter 37

**Alright, another chapter!**

**BizzyLizy - The cake is a lie.**

**RaNDoem - He shall, he shall. ;3 You're welcome. Yes, Killua is very famous. He is also very funny, as he, and I quote, plainly states, Justin Beiber: I have thousands of fans who all want to marry me; Killua: I have millions of fans and I'm not even real! XD**

**Justanimefanfics - I'm glad you like it! Yeah, this is the first time I've done one like this because I was always afraid of stepping outside the storyline or messing up the plot, but this is my best story so far, so I'm really happy I tried something new! XD I don't really know the guy. One of my best friends is obsessed with Kpop and showed me the music video and all I could think was KILLUA. :P**

**kri - Yet. :P**

**Amu Wants Noodles - Ikr? It's so Killua.**

**GracefulLeopard - Yes, yes he will. He's a hunter, and a few seconds on the phone is more than enough time for people with magical Nen to find someone. XD Well... I don't like G Dragon. Don't know him at all. My friend is obsessed with Kpop and shoved the music video in my face; all I could think was: KILLUA. :P I'm more of a Jpop, but I don't mind Kpop occasionally. But I didn't mind the song too much. :)**

* * *

**"It's time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I'd much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure." - Ernie Harwell**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Why do people like you always have to act like this?" I asked him, my Ten starting to flicker into Ren uncontrollably. Kakien started to back up, hitting the wall and flinching. "Let her go now. Or I. Will. Murder. You." It was not a real threat. I was lying, but my Nen said otherwise. I could see it in Kakien's eyes, he knew it. He knew I was lying. But he was still scared. So was Maki, but I was trying hard not to aim my Ren at her._

_Kakien let go of the girl and fell to the ground. She ran away behind me towards the desk to hide. I walked over until I stood over him. He looked at me with a look of terror before putting his hands up in surrender._

_"It's not my fault! The guy! Yeah! It was that Fuzen! He practically threw you at me!"_

_"Uh-huh."_

_"No! It's true! He said he didn't want to deal with you and he needed the money!" I glared at him for a second and he flinched back. "It's true! I swear on my life! I didn't want to deal with a hunter, I knew you were dangerous, but he insisted you weren't a threat! Please, I'll let you have a boat and you can leave, but please don't hurt me!"_

_"What about the other girls?"_

_"You can have Maki too!" I glared at him. "I don't have any bigger a boat!" I thought about his offer. I could take Maki and maybe another girl or two, and then come back later for the others. But by that time Kakien would probably be off and finding a new hideout._

_"No deal."_

_"What?!" The man shouted in fury. I sighed._

_Kai-san would be here soon. I knew he would. He was a hunter. He would find me._

_"Come on Maki," I said as my Ren fell back into Ten. I looked back at the girl who quickly nodded and hurried out from under the desk, then followed me as we started out, leaving Kakien to his miserable wallowing._

_When we got up, Maki had been silent the entire time. We'd gotten to the grassy exterior of the island and not a person was in sight._

_"Hey! Everyone, we're back! You can come out now!" Maki yelled. No answer. The two of us looked at each other in slight worry until a familiar blonde peeked her head out of a thick bush. A huge wide-mouthed smile made its way to her face and her head disappeared before she came out running around the bush. The rest of the girls soon followed after her._

_"Don't worry, help is on the way," I said with a smile. All the girls cheered in pure relief. I looked up at the sky with uncertainty though._

I hope.

_End Re-cap_

* * *

Kakien was really starting to get on my nerves. He was trying so hard to coax the girls back into that hell-hole of a cage under the ocean. Thankfully he stopped whenever I glared at him, but still he'd start up again later on. The guards were still locked in their cells with no way to escape, so Kakien was left all alone. He was pretty pathetic without his guards to back him up.

"He won't come," Kakien said for the third time. It was directed to me, but he was making sure not to _actually_ talk to me.

I sighed and ignored him as I looked up at the sky. I had learned patience from the way I grew up, but the girls around me were starting to get antsy, wondering when Kai-san would be here and such... Kicking Kakien in the shin seemed like the best way to amuse them, as the younger girls frequently did until he cursed at them or I told them to stop. Many times I asked Maki if she could lock him up but of course, the doors were either broken or the cell was used by a guard. Maki had also already tossed the keys, so there was no way to lock the man up anyways. Right now he was just a mere nuisance.

"So, you really think he's coming?" Maki asked me. I nodded with hope flaring behind my brown eyes.

"It's Kai-san. He'll come." Maki sighed, tilting her head and looking at me out of the corner of her eye with a disproving look.

"How come you have so much faith in him?" I shrugged.

"Let me tell you a story," I started.

"I love stories!" One of the other girls who was nearby managed to hear and came running over to sit at my feet. Her loud voice brought the attention of many of the other girls, and they sat down in front of me, chattering away.

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you all the story!" They quieted as they leaned in, focused on me to listen to my story. "Alright, so a long time ago...

_"A long time ago there was a little girl, much like you and me. She had long beautiful white hair, pale blue eyes, and pale skin. She was very kind and loved people and the world around her. Her name was Snow White."_

"Oh! Oh! I know this story!" One of the younger girls quickly interrupted, raising her hand and bouncing in her seat. I smiled.

"But didn't Snow White have _black_ hair and _brown_ eyes?" Another girl, much older, asked with a bored tone.

"Shh, this is a different story than you're thinking. May I continue?" The girl scoffed.

"Yes please!" Another younger girl quickly replied for her.

_"Her name was Snow White._ _Her parents, the king and queen, had always wanted a son,_ _someone to carry on their name; their legacy."_

"What's a legacy?" Another girl interrupted yet again.

"Your lineage." Maki replied.

"What's a lineage?"

"Shh! It's your children and their children! Now shut up and listen!" Everyone was silent for a bit until I continued.

_"They __had always wanted a son, but they got a daughter instead. They hated their daughter because the queen you see was cursed. The queen could not have any children because of a curse placed on her by an evil fairy who liked to put curses on people. Thankfully there was a nice fairy who managed to lift the curse so the queen would be able to have one child, only one. The queen and king were very thankful, but when their child turned out to be a girl they became enraged with the fairy and their entire kingdom. They hid Snow White in the tallest tower in their castle and locked the door so she'd never escape. No one knew she was there, but they didn't care anyways. You see, people had started to hate the royal family because the queen and king were so mean to them. Eventually they passed away. Snow White had grown up in that tower all alone, not knowing anything about the world around her, but wishing she could one day explore and see the worlds outside her small room._

_"Many years passed until she came to the age she was, never knowing her parents had passed away. She was skinny and frail, but never lost hope that somehow she'd escape. As it happened, the king and queen had been replaced by the Duke and his wife. His wife was a peasant who'd won his heart with her beauty. The Duke was the king's brother, not biologically, but still his brother and that's why he took the throne. The new king suddenly decided one day that one of the castle servants had struck him in the wrong way, so he decided to toss him out the tallest room in the castle. That just so happened to be the very same room Snow White was waiting in. When they reached the room, the king came across Snow White, who, for better or worse, was terrified of people because of the way her parents had treated her. She thought her parents had finally come back to punish her once again._

_"However, no, it was the new king and a bunch of guards, dragging the poor servant to his doom. When the King saw Snow White, he recognized her as the late king and queen's daughter. He knew she was the rightful heir to the throne, but she was too young to run a country and had been locked up in the tower all her life, so first he needed to teach her. However, Snow White refused to leave the room while they had the boy in chains. I guess you can say she saved his life in a way, an unofficial royal pardon. The servant was indebted to Snow White for not letting them toss him out the window._

_"When Snow White learned her parents were dead, she felt no guilt, on remorse, not even pity. She was neither happy nor sad. Her parents were like strangers to her. The new king treated her fairly, even though she was like a feral cat, afraid of everything and wanting to go back up and hide in her room. The king's wife didn't help, as she acted kind and generous, but behind her façade she was a cruel and vile woman. Eventually, the well-respected king died and the queen and Snow White were the only ones who ruled._

_"However the queen knew that wasn't true. She had no claim to the throne as long as Snow White was alive. As long as Snow White was alive, the queen was not actually the queen. While she was in the village she heard of a hunter who could hunt anything for the right price. She requested to meet with him as soon as possible. When she met with the cloaked man covered in fur and leather she told him of a magical creature who took human form and ran around the forest at night. However, the creature she described was in fact Snow White, and she was taking him to kill her. Unknowingly he agreed and set out that night to hunt this magical fairy who haunted the beautiful queen. At the same time the queen sent Snow White out to explore the forest. Snow White was ecstatic that the queen, however cruel she was, let her out to see the forest she loved._

_"As she danced around the Hunter was in the forest, tracking after her and looking for her. As he came to a lake he spotted Snow White's almost glowing figure bent down to look into the lake. He saw his chance and hurried over silently, knife in hand. But before he struck the blow he saw her reflection in the lake and stopped, dropping the knife and falling back. Snow White flung around to see her attacker, and she started back in the way towards the castle, scared half to death. The Hunter, who turned out to actually be the servant she'd saved a while ago, stopped her and warned her that it was the queen who'd ordered her death, and she would surely be killed if she went back. Snow White didn't know what to think, you see, she didn't trust people too much, and this was the last straw. She pulled away from the Hunter and ran as far and as fast as she could."_

I stopped there, taking a deep breath and resting in silence.

"So? What happened next?" Maki asked.

"Did she meet the seven little dwarfs?" Another little girl asked.

"You might think so, but you see, she doesn't trust people, remember?" I responded. The girl puffed up her cheeks.

"Snow White really needs to start trusting people. Not everyone is bad. Like the Hunter was good, wasn't he? He was just trying to save her life?"

"You'd think so," I responded. "But when you don't trust people you tend to rely on yourself and even when someone tries to help you you're scared they have some other agenda."

"That's stupid," another girl responded rather unhappily.

"No it's not!" Maki said, almost standing up. "I can understand how Snow White feels! When you start to distrust people, sometimes you can never trust others again!" I nodded.

"So what happened next?" The little blonde girl with the soft voice asked, so I went and started again.

_"Snow White ran __and ran until she got clear to the other side of the forest. It was like a whole new world. Only then did she stop, exhausted from running so long and so far. She made her own little cottage to stay in, to hide, hoping she'd never have to see another human face for the rest of her life."_

"But she's the queen!" One of the girls complained. "She needs to go back and save her kingdom from that evil witch!"

"Ah, yes, the evil witch! Well, she wasn't so much a witch as she was just a normal woman who just happened to be scared."

"Scared? Why is she scared?"

"Is she scared of Snow White?" I nodded.

"The queen was scared of many things, and Snow White was someone she feared the most." I paused for a quick second to look around for Kakien, but he was nowhere to be found. Whatever, I didn't care mush for him anyway. "Anyways..."

_"The Hunter had given the evil queen a pig's heart instead of Snow White's, so as far as the queen knew she was dead. Snow White stayed alone for a long time until eventually an old traveler happened along her hut. Now, this old man was sick and was going to die soon. All he asked was Snow White for some soup. She was very wary of the man, but she was also kind and so she fixed him up some soup and nursed him back to health. Eventually, the man was healthy enough he was able to leave the girl, but of course Snow White didn't want him to go. You see, she was still lonely. She wanted a friend around. The old man saw her need and stayed for three more days, telling her stories and teaching her."_

"So the old man is basically the 'dwarves'?"

"Yeah," I responded with a shrug.

_"But the day came when the man had to leave. He told Snow White she needed to take back her throne or else her kingdom would fall into turmoil. Snow White stayed in her hut for the next few days, but the man's words never left her thoughts. Eventually she set out back to the castle. As she neared it, the queen saw her out of the window and ordered the Hunter to her at once. When the Hunter arrived she ordered him arrested for being a traitor and he was thrown into the dungeons to be executed. At the same time she called her palace wizard to turn into the Hunter in order to deceive poor Snow White and kill her."_

"No!" A bunch of the girls shouted out unhappily.

"Snow White can't die!"

"Don't fall for it Snow!"

"Run away!"

"Shh!" I said again. "Can I finish?"

"Yeah!"

_"When the wizard, disguised as the Hunter, came out of the shadows towards Snow White, Snow White panicked... Until she recognized the Hunter as the one who'd spared her life. The fake Hunter warned her about the queen and told her they'd go in together and kill her._

_"Snow White followed him along the shadows towards the throne room, but before they got there the fake Hunter pinned her to the wall, knife in hand, about to kill her. Snow White didn't know what to do. Here, she'd trusted this man, her friend, and he was about to kill her. Was there anyone she could trust?"_

"But that's not the real Hunter!" A bunch of the girls interrupted, yelling out in anger. I smiled as I continued.

_"She broke down in tears, knowing nothing else to do. This caused the wizard to pause. What was he doing? How could he even think to harm such a young, innocent girl? However, it was the queen's order. Conflicted, he ran off, never to be seen again. Snow White too was conflicted. What was she to do?"_

"Kill the evil queen and take back the kingdom!"

"Then free the Hunter and marry him!" A small blush came to my face and I averted my eyes.

"No, no, she couldn't do either of those things."

"Well, then what does she do?" Maki asked me. I turned to her, lips turning into a curl.

_"She soon came to understand how frail the human mind is, and understood why the queen was so afraid; she understood that killing someone wasn't always the best option, and that sometimes, even though there are people who misuse your trust, there are always people who won't, and it's worth that risk to trust someone even though they might not turn out to be as trustworthy as she thought._

_"And even though_ _her kingdom hated her for who she was, eventually they came to understand her and respect her, and Snow White lived happily in her castle."_

"What happened to the Hunter?" The soft voiced blonde asked.

"He was set free," I replied. I looked up at the sky, thinking about Killua. "He was set free to wander the world."

_And Snow White continued to have adventures, making many more friends along the way._

* * *

**I love this story! I'm so happy at how it's turning out! XD And all those little bits I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THE PUNS UNTIL I REREAD IT! Like 'Hunter' in the Snow White story? Originally it was huntsman, but I just wrote hunter. I didn't even realize... Hunter; until I reread it. :P Wow, I'm so brilliant it's seeping into my unconsciousness! XD**


	38. Chapter 38

**Alright, another chapter! I'm sorry this took so long, I had used up all the internet and even though my Mom promised me unlimited for the summer, we still have limited. DX But hopefully soon. :P**

**IDEK - Basically just a filler chapter. Basil was asked by Maki why she has so much faith in Kaijinmaru, and so she told her (and the other girls) a story, using her life as the basis and mixing it with Snow White. Basil hadn't trusted people very much, but she met Kai-san and grew to understand people. When Killua attacked her she felt like that trust had been broken, but soon she learned what the moral at the end there stated. She started to trust people even though that trust might not be returned. That story was basically a recap and a realization. Hope that makes sense. :)**

**RaNDoem - Thank you! I made it up on the spot. :P But that 'shut up' was Maki. YUSH! I ship it too. :P**

**Amu Wants Noodles - Yes, I love metaphores too! I was thinking of so many when writing that story, can you guess them all? :P**

**strawberry-chan - 1) No, it doesn't. I made her world to be ours without HunterXHunter. For less complications. 2) Ah~ Thanks for telling me. I didn't see that part and the person I was getting the quotes they said from had that written. 3) Yes, someone else brought that up. However Basil and Baise will not meet. 4) Yes, someone else said that too. I'll fix it when I get the chance. :) 5) Someone already won the prize, and it wasn't something I mail. It was an over the internet prize, but if I told others what it was they might get jealous.**

* * *

**"Youth is the spirit of adventure and awakening. It is a time of physical emerging when the body attains the vigor and good health that may ignore the caution of temperance. Youth is a period of timelessness when the horizons of age seem too distant to be noticed." - Ezra Taft Benson**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Kill the evil queen and take back the kingdom!"_

_"Then free the Hunter and marry him!" A small blush came to my face and I averted my eyes._

_"No, no, she couldn't do either of those things."_

_"Well, then what does she do?" Maki asked me. I turned to her, lips turning into a curl._

"She soon came to understand how frail the human mind is, and understood why the queen was so afraid; she understood that killing someone wasn't always the best option, and that sometimes, even though there are people who misuse your trust, there are always people who won't, and it's worth that risk to trust someone even though they might not turn out to be as trustworthy as she thought.

"And even though her kingdom hated her for who she was, eventually they came to understand her and respect her, and Snow White lived happily in her castle."

_"What happened to the Hunter?" The soft voiced blonde asked._

_"He was set free," I replied. I looked up at the sky, thinking about Killua. "He was set free to wander the world."_

And Snow White continued to have adventures, making many more friends along the way.

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Ah, Basil!" I ran over to the ocean, arms spread wide as I ran towards the older man rowing towards me. The water splashed around my feet and soaked my pants as I attempted to run through the water. Kai-san hopped out of the row boat, getting his pants wet too as he made his way over to me. I lunged at him, burrying my face in his bundled clothing as I gave him a giant hug. Kai-san laughed as I squeezed him tight. "My, Basil, did you get taller?" I looked up at him with a frown.

"My, Kai-san, have you been binging?" My adoptive father let out a little laugh, winking an eye shut and putting his fingers an inch apart.

"Eh, only a little." I looked at him suspiciously as he just shook his head. "What? Can't a man drink every once in a while?"

"It's unhealthy to drink so much. Not to mention you've been smoking. I can smell it."

"Well I knew I couldn't get anything past you." He pat my head playfully. "Now let's go see these nice young girls on the shore why don't we?" I nodded as I trudged back through the water back on shore. Thankfully clothes here seemed to dry fast so I didn't have to wait long before I was dried.

"Kai-san, these are the girls. Girls, this is Kai-san."

"Thank you very much for saving us!" All the girls said together as they bowed their heads down. I stared at them with a surprised look while Kai-san just laughed heartily.

"You're welcome!" Kai-san said as his eyes travelled around, doing quick-minute calculations and checking for any threats. After what seemed to me like several minutes but was actually only a couple seconds the captain smiled. "Alright! Get into groups of eight, two heavier girls, three lighter girls, and then we'll get headed off! Basil!"

"Yes Sir!"

"Relax." I blinked at him, confusion spreading along my face until I realized that this entire time I had become so tense. My muscles relaxed and I took a deep breath. "Now, help the girls get into formation!"

"Yes Sir!" I replied with a smile as I hurried over, separating the girls into two groups of eight. I quickly turned to Kai. "Are you sure the boat won't be too heavy?" I asked. The captain looked at me with a look that almost said, 'do you really doubt me?' I smiled, shaking my head and looking down as the Captain smiled back, giving me a thumbs up.

"Alright, Basil, get the girls headed off to the ship. I've got a rat to fry." I nodded, getting one of the two groups into the water towards the boat. I watched as Kai-san walked over to the entrance into the tunnels, hands on hips as he pulled out a cigar and lit it. After a second, he headed down. I hustled the other girls into the boat, then pushed off and started to row towards the ship which had been docked far from the shore due to shallow waters. As the small row boat came to a slow stop against the side of the ship, I let the girls climb up.

"Hey!" I yelled as they started to run off. "Stay on the deck until I come back with the other girls! And don't mess with anything! We don't want the ship to fall apart!"

"I'll make sure they don't mess with anything too important." I looked over at Maki who was smiling.

"Thanks," I said with a nod.

"No problem." She hoisted herself up onto the boat, pausing for a second to look back down at me. "Hey, Basil?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you." I paused as I looked into her eyes, the same gaze I had when I first met my friends in them as she looked back at me with that sincere smile.

"No problem," I replied as I sat back down and got back to rowing to pick up the other girls. As I left I couldn't help but feel how sincere that 'thank you' was. My heart sunk as I thought of my friends. I never did say a sincere thank you to them; for helping me, being with me, guiding me through this world and being with me every step of the way... My grip tightened on the oars and I pattled faster. I had made up my mind. The next time I saw them I'd tell them thank you. A sincere thank you.

* * *

"So, we have everyone here, right?" I looked around the ship, then turned to Kai-san.

"Yup," I replied. I turned to the edge of the deck, leaning over the railing to look down at Kakien who was gagged and tied up in ropes, laying on a small boat which was tied to the ship. "Don't you think that's a little cruel?" I asked the captain without averting my gaze from the beat up and frizzed up Kakien. I felt Kai-san lean on the railing next to me.

"Nah," he replied simply. After a second he moved away from the side. "Al_right_ girls! Since my daughter Basil had called on such_ short_ notice I had to leave my _crew_ back on land! I'm going to have to teach you all a little something about _ships_!" After he paused, he turned to me. "Basil!"

"Yes Sir!"

"Show them how to set the sails and tie the ropes!"

"Yes Sir!" I hurried down to the deck, gathering the girls around as I gave them orders to pull the sails down. Many had to hold onto each the ropes since they weren't as strong as a normal crew member, trying to pull the sails down in order for the wind to catch them. "If you think pulling them down is hard, it's even harder to put them up!"

"Why do we have to pull them down and put them up? Why not leave them?" One of the little girls asked.

"The sails let the boat move. If you don't want it to move you have to put the sails up," I replied simply. "And when you want it to move you need to put them down. Maki! Get a group of stronger girls and follow me! Everyone else keep pulling and following the captain's orders!"

"Yes Ma'am!" The girls yelled out. I giggled slightly at their response, shaking my head as Maki and four other girls headed over to me.

"Alright, come on, we need to turn this wheel." The girls nodded as they took the knobs jutting out from the large wooden block and pushed with all their strength, starting to wrap a large rope around it. I took one of the knobs as well, but it wasn't going too fast till I started using Nen, then it started to smooth out, though I was doing the majority of the work. I stopped pushing it, stopping it in place. I turned back to see Kai-san was talking with some of the girls, who were nodding and heading down to do more work. "Anchor's been secured!" I yelled at him. He grinned as he tunred to me.

"Alright! Ready to set sail!" I nodded as I hurried up through the doors and to the wheel, setting all the switches and knobs before the boat started its motor and we started off, dragging the tied up Kakien after us on his small boat. I turned as I heard Kai-san walk in, giant, pleased grin on his face.

"Your friends are a big help," he said, however the smile quickly fell. "I hope we don't hit a storm, or it'll be nasty." I nodded at his remark. "Cross your fingers for smooth sailing."

"Yup. Are you taking the wheel? Honestly, I don't know where we're headed."

"Yeah, I got it. Thanks." The captain took the wheel. "Go on up and talk to your friends, I'm sure they'll need some guidance from someone like you about what they should do once we get to shore. I was talking to one of the girls and she actually grew up in that horrid place." Kai-san was glenching his jaw, hands tight around the wheel in shaking fists. I averted my eyes in nervousness, biting the side of my mouth. "Hm? What's wrong?" I shook my head as I looked back up at Kai-san who was now looking at me.

"I don't think I'm best suited to teach them, Kai-san," I replied. He looked at me funny. "I'm not even from here... I don't know the first think about-"

"About what?" He interrupted as he asked me with a snort, lighting another cigar and placing it in his mouth, turning away from me. "Suddenly coming from a place where they were secluded, imprisoned, _enslaved_? Then becoming free and living suddenly in a world they are unfamiiar with? I don't think it's only me, but that sounds a lot like you."

"But it's different." I paused. Kai-san let me speak. "I came from another world," I continued. "I had you, you taught me to fight and taught me Nen. I had the _Hunter Exams_, and there I met my _friends_. Most of them are way too young to take the Hunter Exams, and we can't expect to teach them to fight. They diserve to make their own choices, not to be forced into a position they might regret later."

"So you regret learning Nen? Taking the Hunter Exams?" Kai-san said after a second, not even looking at me. I sucked my breath in, looking to the ground and twirling my Hunter License in my hand in my pocket.

"No," I replied after a bit. "I just feel like I had no choice. It was the path I was meant to take. However I do not want to force the others into making the same choices when they're fully free and can choose something else, something where they don't have to fight for the rest of their life."

"And you would try and stop them if they tried to go down the same path as you?" Again, I paused.

"No," I said once again. I looked up at the man and smiled. "I- if they choose that than at least it's their choice, not something someone is forcing them to do. That in itself is an accomplishment I feel everyone has their own right to make." Only a second passed, but the captain's frown turned into a smile. He pulled the cigar out of his mouth and glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Well then, git." I slightly giggled at that, scoffing as I turned away, hands on hips while I shook my head and walked out of the room to find where the girls were. "You'll do fine."

I closed the door behind me, heading up to the deck.

* * *

**Well, school has finished! SENIOR NOW! XD Welp, I hope you liked this chapter. I'm sorry, I would have uploaded it sooner, but you know... I used 500% of our internet so we had absolutely 0% internet time for the rest of the month... ^^; But now I'm back! Well, at least for a bit... Once I either get more internet or school starts I can get back on track.**


	39. Chapter 39

**I am so so so SO SO sorry for how long it took me to get this up and written! I've just been really, REALLY busy and I kind of had a little bit of writers block when I had time, so I haven't gotten to writing anything until recently! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! ..-^-..**

**korohoshi - Thank you! :3**

**GracefulLeopard - Thank you! I was trying to go for something deeper! XD Yeah, the group will sure be confused! Except Killua. I think he'll know what she's talking about. :P**

**RaNDoem - Haha, yeah, me too. However... Nah, I'll leave it to your imagination! :P**

**KaileySpitler - I'm really glad you like it that much and stop to read it! It makes me so happy to hear that people love my story that much, it's really inspiring! Don't worry, I'll never abandon it! SPOILER ALERT! I'm already planning a sequel so I really can't abandon it now! XD And as to your question, this is the first fanfic I've written like this. I normally go right alone with the storyline since it's easiest, but I've become a better author so I have not as many worries of making characters OOC and can add more to my story and break off a bit. I've never done this, where the OC breaks off of the storyline, before, the closest thing I had done was flashbacks. Now that I'm doing this with Basil it's a lot of fun and actually 1) Makes story writing more fun, easier, and more original, 2) Gives me something else to plan out and look forward to besides just setting them up into the story, and 3) The fans love it! XD The thing is, with my writing style I only plan out bits and pieces, and while I'm writing more bits and pieces. There's quite a lot of the story even I don't know what is going to happen, and most of the stuff that's already happened I didn't know that was going to happen until I wrote it. What I'm saying is, I'm hoping there will be more Basil side quest things, and I AM planning on doing more, however at the current moment I don't know where and when they will occur, but hopefully some time. XD Thank you for the support, and the long review, I don't mind. I just hope this loooong bit here wasn't too much of a reply. ;P**

**Fear Love Hate Life - Ah, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Nobody else caught that! I really appreciate it, it is fixed! XD Please, if you ever catch anything like that again, don't hesitate to tell me!**

* * *

**"It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves." - Andre Gide**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Alright! Ready to set sail!" I nodded as I hurried up through the doors and to the wheel, setting all the switches and knobs before the boat started its motor and we started off, dragging the tied up Kakien after us on his small boat. I turned as I heard Kai-san walk in, giant, pleased grin on his face._

_"Your friends are a big help," he said, however the smile quickly fell. "I hope we don't hit a storm, or it'll be nasty." I nodded at his remark. "Cross your fingers for smooth sailing."_

_"Yup. Are you taking the wheel? Honestly, I don't know where we're headed."_

_"Yeah, I got it. Thanks." The captain took the wheel. "Go on up and talk to your friends, I'm sure they'll need some guidance from someone like you about what they should do once we get to shore. I was talking to one of the girls and she actually grew up in that horrid place." Kai-san was glenching his jaw, hands tight around the wheel in shaking fists. I averted my eyes in nervousness, biting the side of my mouth. "Hm? What's wrong?" I shook my head as I looked back up at Kai-san who was now looking at me._

_"I don't think I'm best suited to teach them, Kai-san," I replied. He looked at me funny. "I'm not even from here... I don't know the first think about-"_

_"About what?" He interrupted as he asked me with a snort, lighting another cigar and placing it in his mouth, turning away from me. "Suddenly coming from a place where they were secluded, imprisoned, _enslaved_? Then becoming free and living suddenly in a world they are unfamiliar with? I don't think it's only me, but that sounds a lot like you."_

_"But it's different." I paused. Kai-san let me speak. "I came from another world," I continued. "I had you, you taught me to fight and taught me Nen. I had the _Hunter Exams_, and there I met my _friends_. Most of them are way too young to take the Hunter Exams, and we can't expect to teach them to fight. They diserve to make their own choices, not to be forced into a position they might regret later."_

_"So you regret learning Nen? Taking the Hunter Exams?" Kai-san said after a second, not even looking at me. I sucked my breath in, looking to the ground and twirling my Hunter License in my hand in my pocket._

_"No," I replied after a bit. "I just feel like I had no choice. It was the path I was meant to take. However I do not want to force the others into making the same choices when they're fully free and can choose something else, something where they don't have to fight for the rest of their life."_

_"And you would try and stop them if they tried to go down the same path as you?" Again, I paused._

_"No," I said once again. I looked up at the man and smiled. "I- if they choose that than at least it's their choice, not something someone is forcing them to do. That in itself is an accomplishment I feel everyone has their own right to make." Only a second passed, but the captain's frown turned into a smile. He pulled the cigar out of his mouth and glanced at me out of the corner of his eye._

_"Well then, git." I slightly giggled at that, scoffing as I turned away, hands on hips while I shook my head and walked out of the room to find where the girls were. "You'll do fine."_

_I closed the door behind me, heading up to the deck._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Hey, you really helped us back there," I turned to see Maki shifting on her feet, biting her lip as she looked to the ground.

"Hm?" I stood from where I had been tying the rope from the ship onto the wooden post on the dock, turning to her with a look of slight confusion. "Oh, getting you out of there? It was no big deal! I just did what anyone would have done, or at least should have."

"That's the thing though," Maki continued. "Not just anyone would do what you did! I guess we're all just really lucky you were captured and caged." Maki quickly became scared as she waved her hands in front of her face in panic. "Ah! I didn't mean for it to sound like that! I mean, I-" I laughed.

"It's alright, I know what you mean." I bowed to her. "There's no need to thank me, Maki. Just promise me that you will take care of the girls. Make sure you all take care of yourselves and stay out of trouble." Maki nodded.

"Will do. We'll all do our best!" All the girls huddled into a large mob and bowed.

"Thank you so much!" They all said. "We hope to see you again!" The younger ones started to run off towards the village, while some of the older girls yelled at them to keep them under control. I smiled after them, shaking my head. I really hoped they'd find their own things in life to do.

"Basil! Come on over here! I have something to talk to you about!" I turned to Kai-san with a grin.

"Me too!" I yelled back. I started over, but paused as a tugging on my long pants stopped me. It was the little blonde girl with the soft voice, the one who had alerted me in the underground prison back on Kakien's island. "Yes?"

"I'm going to grow up to be strong and kind just like Snow White!" The little girl said, big smile on her face. "I'm going to be a princess too!"

"Well then, I look forward to seeing that," I replied, placing one of my gloved hands on her head. "I wish you good luck!"

"Thanks! You too! I hope you become a very strong Hunter!" The little girl ran off towards Maki, who had her arms outstretched waiting for the little bright-eyed girl. Maki leaned down and whispered something incoherent to the girl, who smiled and took off before she turned to me.

"Just you wait, Basil," Maki said, pointing at me. "I'm going to take the next Hunter exams. I'll become strong, just like you!"

"Ha, I'd like to see that!" I replied sarcastically back to her, hands on hips and grin on face. Maki huffed, turning her face away from me, crossing her arms.

"One day I'll be strong enough to fight against people, and then I'll be able to protect everyone like you protected us."

"Good luck." I replied with a salute. She smiled at me, then nodded with a slight bow and took off to the others who were waiting for her. They quickly disappeared into the crowd of people.

"Think she'll make it?" I turned to look beside me at a crew member who had stopped next to me.

"Yeah. I figure she has a chance." I then shrugged, looking back at the crowds of people going along their business. "Depends what they actually test."

"Yeah, so the captain's waiting for you. I'll see you soon, I have to go get some more rope for the ship."

"Alright, see you later Katzo." The redish haired man nodded and left into the town while I headed onto the boat in search for the captain. I found him in a room, sitting on one of the hammocks, flask in hand and grin on face. I scowled at him.

"Ah! Basil, took you long enough. How's the girls? They head off alright?"

"Yeah," I replied. "They're fine." I paused. The captain sighed.

"Basil, don't glare at me like that." I softened my expression as Kai-san put his flask away and patted the fabric next to him. I hurried over and plopped down on the hammock next to him. "So, that was a pretty good rescue, was it not?" I grinned.

"Yup! I knew you would come!"

"It felt good, right Helping those girls?"

"Yeah," I replied with a hum. "I always wanted to help people like that. I knew becoming a Hunter would help! Thank you so much Kai-san! If it wasn't for you-"

"Now now, I want to hear how the exam went! Was it hard? Did you make any friends?" I quickly answered with a shrug.

"I guess it was kind of hard. There was a lot of running at the beginning, I don't think I would have ever been able to do that without help."

"Ah, yes. Satotz always had a knack for that."

"He runs funny." Kai-san laughed at that.

"Yes, that he does."

"How'd you know it was Satotz?"

"How would I have not known?" Kai-san bellowed, puffing up his chest. "Did you forget I was a navigator?" Kai-san smiled, a gleam in his eye. "I'm just kidding kiddo." I relaxed, lowering my shoulders. "So how was the rest of it? Tell me, what happened to those three who travelled with you and that other one, Crisei was it?" I nodded. "What happened with them?" I grinned, leaning back and beginning to tell him the entire story of the trek through the dark forest, the Kiriko and the exam, Killua and the dangerous swamp, Menchi and Buhara, everything that had gone on throughout the phase. When I got to the part about my Nami though Kai-san stopped me.

"I told you to be careful with that!" He scolded me. "I knew it'd be dangerous!" I hung my head in shame.

"But hey, I know what my Hatsu is!" I exclaimed happily. "So I won't have to use Nami anymore!" Kai-san seemed to perk up at that.

"Oh? So what are you?"

"I'm a Specialist!" I replied.

"I figured as much," Kai-san said with a nod, folding his arms. He then grinned as he looked back down at me. "So have you figured out what your technique will be?" I nodded, then stood and walked to the other side of the room. I closed my eyes and focused.

_Conjurer, Manipulator, Enhancer, Emitter, Transmuter... _I took a deep breath then opened my eyes back and looked at Kai-san. "Come to me!" Kai-san I could see had Gyo activated as he was staring at me hard

"I see you got En down," he said. "No, not En, but close..." His body then bumped into my barrier, stopping him in the middle of the room. He paused with a startled look, placing his hand out to the Nen shield. "Interesting! Using your Nen to create a solid barrier so people can't get near you!" I nodded. "That's very unique!" He then placed his hand on his chin in a thoughtful expression. "Hm... Mind if I test your ability out? We want it to be strong. If it's not strong it's not that useful." I nodded once again.

"Though I can't keep it up for too long..." I replied quickly, dispersing it to conserve energy.

"How long?"

"Well that's only the second time I've used it, so... The first time it only lasted 10 seconds, but I was exausted and it was being pounded upon. Plus I was running away from it."

"Ah, at Kakien's hideout?"

"Yeah. By the way, what did you do with him? I noticed he wasn't trailing after us anymore." Kai-san started laughing.

"So you know that small boat of his?" I nodded. "It was actually tampered with, so it was rigged to sink once you got in the middle of the ocean. I decided that mole needed a taste of his own medicine, so I decided to... Cut him loose."

"So he's somewhere in the middle of the ocean probably being eaten by a huge fish?"

"Probably."

"Why do I not feel bad for him?"

"He's a jacka**."

"That's true."

"So, does your barrier defend against Nen?"

"I don't know... I just know it defends against physical attacks."

"Well, let's go out onto the deck and see." I smiled and followed the captain up to the top of the ship onto the flat deck. "Alright, now let's see what you got!"

We trained for the rest of the day, building up my Nen and testing the limits of my True Barrier. My barrier was able to hold it's own against all the physical attacks Kai-san through at me, and even some of his flame-throwers. I was pretty proud of myself, however there was a few problems with my barrier.

First off it didn't do anything about my lack of Zetsu. I was still visable and people could still sence me. Plus when my barrier was activated it actually allerted people to my presence more than helping to hide me. Also En, though it hid whatever was inside my barrier, was still able to see the barrier itself. I guess that was both a help and a hinderence, then I'd be able to hide people inside my barrier as long as we were in a spot we could hide.

Secondly any attacks against my barrier I felt on myself. In a way that was good, then I could feel and sense the attacker, and what they were capable of. I found that out when testing my True Barrier with Kai-san, even when I couldn't see the attacker I knew a lot about them just from them hitting my barrier. When Kai-san used his fire I didn't get burned because the barrier protected me, but I felt the tingling on my body like ants running across my skin.

It was funny, when Kai-san attacked my barrier I was able to tell he was only using a fourth of his strength. Kai-san was surprised when I asked him about it, so we tested out what my barrier could find out from people just from their attacks. I didn't even think this would happen...

The third thing that was a bit of a problem wasn't my durability, but it was my posistioning. I could summon my barrier as a sphere around me or just a wall, but strangely enough making it a wall was a lot more tiring. Though it wasn't that I was annoyed about, I could easily fix it later and train. No, it was the fact that wherever I summoned it it wouldn't move from it's spot. I could summon it around me and others around me, but it would have to be dispersed before I could put it up somewhere else.

Hopefully I'd be able to train more to become stronger. Then I'll be able to protect my friends.

* * *

**I went to Washington for vacation to visit my dad, so I haven't really had time or the thinking capacity to work on this... I'm really sorry! ^^; And of course my computer decided to restart again before I could save and I lost half this chapter so I went on strike for a bit, but now I'm back! I'll hopefully be getting a whole ton of chapters up! Well, thank you everyone for your support anyway! You're the best! XD**


	40. Chapter 40

**So I have quite a few readers wondering why I said there's be no kiss, but that's only partially correct. Please read no further if you do not want a slight spoiler. The thing is, there is a 25% chance they'll kiss, but it'll be on the last chapter. That's because I'm making a sequel about when they're older, and I'll have plenty of gushy moments in that since they're old enough. I mean, he's only 13! Thank you!**

**BizzyLizzy - Thanks for your support!**

**sirenightsparrow - Not as awesome as her new ones! In future chapters...**

**kri - I like Kai-san too! Though, I like Crisei better. :P**

**OtakuWhovian1224 - Thanks! I'm happy for another new fan! I'm glad you like it! Sorry about the no kiss, but it'll make so much sense as I get farther!**

**Amu Wants Noodles - And that's only the beginning! XD I'm glad when people can't exactly tell what's going to happen next, but still I hope it's not so obscure that peope know exactly what's going on. :P**

**RaNDoem - Thank you and you're welcome!**

* * *

**"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." - Jawaharlal Nehru**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_We trained for the rest of the day, building up my Nen and testing the limits of my True Barrier. My barrier was able to hold it's own against all the physical attacks Kai-san through at me, and even some of his flame-throwers. I was pretty proud of myself, however there was a few problems with my barrier._

_First off it didn't do anything about my lack of Zetsu. I was still visible and people could still sense me. Plus when my barrier was activated it actually alerted people to my presence more than helping to hide me. Also En, though it hid whatever was inside my barrier, was still able to see the barrier itself. I guess that was both a help and a hindrance, then I'd be able to hide people inside my barrier as long as we were in a spot we could hide._

_Secondly any attacks against my barrier I felt on myself. In a way that was good, then I could feel and sense the attacker, and what they were capable of. I found that out when testing my True Barrier with Kai-san, even when I couldn't see the attacker I knew a lot about them just from them hitting my barrier. When Kai-san used his fire I didn't get burned because the barrier protected me, but I felt the tingling on my body like ants running across my skin._

_It was funny, when Kai-san attacked my barrier I was able to tell he was only using a fourth of his strength. Kai-san was surprised when I asked him about it, so we tested out what my barrier could find out from people just from their attacks. I didn't even think this would happen..._

_The third thing that was a bit of a problem wasn't my durability, but it was my positioning. I could summon my barrier as a sphere around me or just a wall, but strangely enough making it a wall was a lot more tiring. Though it wasn't that I was annoyed about, I could easily fix it later and train. No, it was the fact that wherever I summoned it it wouldn't move from it's spot. I could summon it around me and others around me, but it would have to be dispersed before I could put it up somewhere else._

_Hopefully I'd be able to train more to become stronger. Then I'll be able to protect my friends._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Aw, Kai-san, I'm tired." I panted, sitting back on the boat. My Nen was exhausted, but Kai-san wanted me to train for as long as I could.

"Even in battle, when you're tired your enemy doesn't quit. They'll continue to fight," Kai-san replied. I just sprawled myself out.

"Mah, alright," I complied. I stared up at the sky for a few more seconds before finally standing up.

"Basil, here's the thing," the captain started. "If an enemy knocks you out your body will rest, but not your mind or your Nen. You'll be sent back to your world where you won't be able to do anything to help yourself."

"I know that," I replied, puffing out my cheeks as I threw a Nen filled punch at the man. He easily dodged.

"No, I don't think you realize what exactly it means. You need to train up your barrier to be able to withstand strong attacks, so you're protected enough that you won't easily tire or fall unconscious. If you don't, you're as good as dead." His words made me pause, creating an opening for him to land a hit on my back. I groaned as I laid on my stomach.

But he was right. I needed to make sure I had enough power to hold my own in a fight. If I couldn't keep up with Kai-san, what made me think I could stay strong against another Nen user like him?

Kai-san sighed, extending his hand to my face. I tilted my chin up to look at him, then took his hand and he easily pulled me up. A grin found its way to his face and I tilted my head at him, wondering what he was smiling about.

"What?" I asked suspiciously.

"You've gained some weight," he replied. "That's good, it means you're eating enough."

I was taken aback by his statement. "Ah! Kai-san! I already _was_ eating enough!"

He just smiled and laughed, patting my shoulder. "Come on Basil, let's head into town."

I nodded, following after him, taking deep breaths as I walked. "What for?"

"You'll see."

* * *

"Ah~ Kai-san, we've been in this fish market all day!" I groaned, looking around the store at the tanks and tanks full of all sorts of exotic fish I'd never seen before. The sun was probably already dipping below the horizon and we'd been here for hours on end! I'd seen all the fish here already, even learned quite a bit about them from Kai-san's ranting. I didn't even know why we were here; it didn't look like we were getting any to eat, since we'd been staying away from the large fodder tanks, so I guessed he just wanted to teach me about the different fish in this world.

"Hey, Kai-san, is fish knowledge your hobby?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nah, I'm a captain, and a captain's got to know his fish. I'd just..." He looked at his watch for the fifth time within the last few moments, then smiled. "I'm getting you a pet fish, choose any one you'd like!" I paused, blinking my eyes at him.

"What?"

"I'm getting you a pet fish." He was frowning now. "Do you not like fish?"

"No, I'm just wondering why..." I trailed off. "Eh, never mind. But how do I even take care of it?" I looked around the room. "Unlike a dog I can't take it with me! Once I leave in September I'll have to leave it with you!" Kai-san shook his finger at me with a wink.

"You'd be surprised." I sighed, then looked around the room. So that's why he was talking about then, teaching me. So that I'd know which one I might want.

"Hm... I like the colors on the Whisven, but it'd be difficult to take care of. I also like the Shingokuen, but it's colors are a bit too bright."

"Ah, then you'd like the Gintsue!" At my confusion, he brought me over to a tank farther in the bank we'd only passed by. "It normally lives in the ocean, so the tank will be obnoxious to take care of, but it itself is generally easy to take care of." I nodded, staring at the male blue and yellow fish swimming around alone in the tank in front of me.

"I like him," I said, smiling up at Kai-san. "But I don't know what I'll do with him." Kai-san waved his hand at me.

"Ah, don't worry about it." He looked over towards the front desk. "Hey! My daughter wants this one!" He boomed. The man at the front came running over, slightly panicked but grateful we actually got something after this long time. He grabbed a net, swishing it in the water, successfully grabbing the large fish and placing it in a large bag filled with salt water. The three of us walked to the counter when Kai-san leaned over to whisper something to the man. I tried to read his lips, but his mouth was covered.

"Alright, I'll get him all situated then bring him out to you later," the man said as he handed the card back to Kai-san. I nodded as Kai-san placed a hand on my shoulder, pushing me towards the door.

"Thanks!" I yelled back. I then turned to the captain. "So we're not taking him back with us?" I asked.

"Well we don't have a tank yet," Kai-san explained. I nodded in understanding.

"But we'll get one soon?" He nodded.

"You like him?" I nodded happily.

"I've never had a pet before!"

"That's good then. Sure you'll be able to care for him?" I nodded confidently.

"I'll try my best!"

"So what're you going to name him?"

"Ah!" I placed a finger on my lips as I stopped at the door to the store. "I got it!"

"Hm?"

"I'll name him Kurta!" Kai-san's eyes widened at that.

"What's with that?"

"It's Kura Nii-san's last name!" I explained. Kai-san started to laugh.

"So you name the gold and blue fish after the golden-haired, blue-cloaked boy. Interesting." I frowned.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing! Kurta it is!" I grinned once again.

"So, we go home now?"

"Not quite back to the boat yet," Kai-san replied.

"Why not?" I asked, dreading more browsing this late at night.

"Because-" Kai-san opened the store door and my senses were covered with lights and music as I stared at the festival that had just started.

* * *

I walked out the door in confusion, staring at the town that had been transformed without my knowledge into these crowds of people.

"So, Basil, sorry I kept you in the store for so long but I wanted this to be a surprise. They were putting on a festival tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to go around with me." I looked up and he was scratching his cheek. I frowned, reaching up with speed and grabbing the just lit cigar out of my adoptive father's mouth. He frowned back at me, then sighed. "Man, Basil, this is supposed to be my freedom day!"

"Not around me. It hurts my nose!" The man sighed, then shook his head continuing forward.

"Come on, let's find something to eat." I hurried after him, looking back and forth at all the booths and large displays set up by businesses who were looking for our cash in their pockets. Men and women alike shouted over the music, waving banners and objects.

A smile fell upon my face as I looked back at Kai-san who rambled on and on about how so many people liked to swindle young kids so I needed to be careful and watch him deal with them. I just laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"You do realize I know my way round getting better prices and not being swindled already, right Kai-san?" I stuck my tongue out at him and he just laughed.

"Eh, I wouldn't be surprised." For a moment he fell silent. Pointing a meaty finger at a store, he steered me towards it. "Over there."

"What about the food booths?" I asked him.

"During a festival? They overprice their stuff so it's not worth it for whatever you get. Plus, I know the guy who runs this place. He used to work for me. He's been wanting to meet you." I nodded.

"Who is he?"

"His name's Marco. You wouldn't know him, but be careful, he's sometimes an airhead. Think he fell off starboard a few times too many." Kai-san chuckled at his own joke. He pushed open the door, letting me walk in before him. He looked around before heading in front of me and past the entrance.

"Ah! Welcome to the Octo- Huh?" The captain walked right past the woman at the door, ignoring her at the moment in favor of searching for his old friend. I glanced at the bewildered woman for a second before continuing after Kai-san.

"You know where Marco is?" The man asked the lady after looking around.

"Um, he's in the back. May I ask-"

"Can you get him?"

"Um, no, I-"

"Go get him Lein. He's an old friend," a voice ordered. The waitress, Lein, looked to the owner to see a woman with bright red hair and a broad hat over her head, walking towards them.

"Uh, yeah, OK." The lady ran off.

"Sorry, she's new," the redhead explained, turning to leave.

"Nice to see you again Marcel!" Kai-san yelled after her.

"F**k off!" She yelled back, smirk on her lips. Kai-san just laughed.

The doors opened to where Lein had disappeared, showing a man with a white apron and a white hat on, dusting his hands on his clothing.

"Hey! Marco! You still doing well?" Kai-san called, walking to meet him.

"Kaijinmaru! I thought you'd left port!" The smiling man replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Nah, came back to drop some girls off."

"Hehe, always picking up girls wherever you go, aren't you Kai?"

"Shut up. It was a favor."

"Ah! And who's this young girl?" The man quickly said, changing the subject.

"I'm Basil," I replied, holding out my hand to shake. He took it with a large, unwavering grin on his face.

"Ah, so you're the infamous Basil."

"I wouldn't say-"

"It's nice to meet you! Kaijinmaru has had nothing but good things to say about you!" I blushed, turning my head away from the man who laughed and straightened, turning to Kai-san. "She's cute. You're lucky!"

"Yeah, I guess I am." Kai-san winked at me. I sighed.

"Ah! So you must have seen the festival!"

"Yeah!" I replied. "It's awesome! I went to the fair back- I mean, a while ago, but I've never been to something like this! It's so much fun! So many people, so many games~!" The man laughed.

"So, how would you like to try some of my special Fish Finger Fillet? It's one of my populars here!" I nodded eagerly. The man turned to Kai-san. "The usual?" The captain nodded his reply and the man turned, yelling back into the doors he had come from and disappearing.

"Would you like me to seat you?" The two of us looked to see Lein smiling, nervousness gone as she understood what was going on.

"Yes please!" I replied.

"Alright, right this way." Lein lead the captain and I over to a large seating area with cushiony seats. It wasn't long before our orders were placed in front of us by Marco himself.

"Hey, enjoy it!" He winked at me. "Tell me how you like it, OK?"

"Sure!"

The man started away, leaving Lein smiling at us.

"If you need anything else don't hesitate to ask!" And with that she walked away.

Kai-san and I chatted for a while, talking back and forth and laughing at jokes. After a while Marco came back, that smile still on his face as he asked me to follow him. I looked over at the captain, but he just chuckled and waved his hand at me. Unsure, but still understanding, I hurried to follow the man who lead me to a lit up area and handed me something black.

I stared at the mic in my hands, then sighed as the man handed me the song list. Of course, I still couldn't read anything, so I just pointed at one and he nodded. I sighed, looking over at Kai-san in annoyance. I could speak the language of this world and understand it when spoken back to thanks to the translation device lodged in my chest, but when it came to reading and writing, that was just something I still couldn't do.

I wrapped my gloved hands around the mic as I listened to the tune in nervousness. I didn't know the song... And I couldn't read it... So I closed my eyes and sang along with my own words.

"Beneath the stars, face to face  
I'll told ya I love ya, won't let your heart break  
I'll run to the moon and walk on the sea  
I'll start a new world for you and me  
And I'll save ya when the sky falls  
Can you hear the siren call?  
So together we can break down the walls  
Can you hear the siren call?  
Now I'm everywhere, you know  
That I'll never let you go  
Cos I'll save ya when the sky falls  
Oh  
Can you hear the siren call?  
Can you hear the siren call?  
Oh  
Now watch me find a thousand ways  
To tell ya I love ya and we'll be ok  
I'll run to the moon and walk on the sea  
I'll start a new world for you and me  
And I'll save ya when the sky falls  
Can you hear the siren call?  
So together we can break down the walls  
Can you hear the siren call?  
Now I'm everywhere, you know  
That I'll never let you go  
Cos I'll save ya when the sky falls  
Oh  
Can you hear the siren call?  
Can you hear the siren call?  
Oh  
Hold on  
We're so strong  
Now we fight as one  
Forever together  
A new day  
And we'll stay  
Like a rising sun  
Forever together  
Hold on  
We're so strong  
Now we fight as one  
Forever together  
And I'll save ya when the sky falls  
Can you hear the siren call?  
Can you hear the siren call?  
Oh  
And I'll save ya when the sky falls  
Can you hear the siren call?  
Oh  
And I'll save ya when the sky falls  
Can you hear the siren call?"

Everyone clapped and cheered, even though it wasn't the song. I smiled. At least it sounded good. I looked over at Kai-san who was clapping, red faced with all the alcohol he'd been consuming. I frowned, then stuck my tongue out at him. He just laughed.

* * *

**So the fish I used was the Fairy Wrasse, the Sapphire Devil, and the one she ended up getting was a King Angelfish. In order. :P I just gave them different names because you know, the HXH world has different beasts than ours. :P**

**Also, say thanks to sirenightsparrow for the song. :P And thanks so much to xXSaSuHiNaXx for beta editing it! I really appreciate it! XD**


	41. Chapter 41

**Once again I apologize that I'm not getting these up as fast as I used to. I've just been so busy and distracted and dealing with lots of personal issues. I don't know when I'll be able to get back to my regular rhythm. Sorry!**

**Thank you for the Basil fanart! XD I really enjoy it all and it makes me feel so special! I really appreciate it!**

**Mistress Silver Moon - Thank you for your support! I appreciate it! XD**

**Amu Wants Noodles - Aw~ Thanks! I'm so happy you liked the song! It's one of my favorites. And I guess you'll have to sit tight and wait to find out about him! Thanks for the suggestion! PS: You might be right! :3**

* * *

**"I think it's my adventure, my trip, my journey, and I guess my attitude is, let the chips fall where they may." - Leonard Nimoy**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_I wrapped my gloved hands around the mic as I listened to the tune in nervousness. I didn't know the song... And I couldn't read it... So I closed my eyes and sang along with my own words._

_"Beneath the stars, face to face_  
_I'll told ya I love ya, won't let your heart break_  
_I'll run to the moon and walk on the sea_  
_I'll start a new world for you and me_  
_And I'll save ya when the sky falls_  
_Can you hear the siren call?_  
_So together we can break down the walls_  
_Can you hear the siren call?_  
_Now I'm everywhere, you know_  
_That I'll never let you go_  
_Cos I'll save ya when the sky falls_  
_Oh_  
_Can you hear the siren call?_  
_Can you hear the siren call?_  
_Oh_  
_Now watch me find a thousand ways_  
_To tell ya I love ya and we'll be ok_  
_I'll run to the moon and walk on the sea_  
_I'll start a new world for you and me_  
_And I'll save ya when the sky falls_  
_Can you hear the siren call?_  
_So together we can break down the walls_  
_Can you hear the siren call?_  
_Now I'm everywhere, you know_  
_That I'll never let you go_  
_Cos I'll save ya when the sky falls_  
_Oh_  
_Can you hear the siren call?_  
_Can you hear the siren call?_  
_Oh_  
_Hold on_  
_We're so strong_  
_Now we fight as one_  
_Forever together_  
_A new day_  
_And we'll stay_  
_Like a rising sun_  
_Forever together_  
_Hold on_  
_We're so strong_  
_Now we fight as one_  
_Forever together_  
_And I'll save ya when the sky falls_  
_Can you hear the siren call?_  
_Can you hear the siren call?_  
_Oh_  
_And I'll save ya when the sky falls_  
_Can you hear the siren call?_  
_Oh_  
_And I'll save ya when the sky falls_  
_Can you hear the siren call?"_

_Everyone clapped and cheered, even though it wasn't the song. I smiled. At least it sounded good. I looked over at Kai-san who was clapping, red faced with all the alcohol he'd been consuming. I frowned, then stuck my tongue out at him. He just laughed._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I'd considered that, after all this, Kai-san would have had the decency to let me sleep. Not that I could have anyways, I'd just go to my world once again. But I had to admit, I _was_ tired.

I'd been around the festival all night, to the point the sun was coming up already. I could see it in the lightening sky. The festival had ended an hour ago, the venders were taking down their booths and children were going home to sleep for a bit.

I wondered if the girls had participated at all.

They only had enough money to take care of themselves till they were able to get jobs or families to take them in. It'd taken a big chunk out of my wallet since Kai-san wouldn't pay, but at least I had my Hunter License to do that. Without it I would have been sending the group out with nothing.

"Hey, Kai-san?" I said, staring up at the sky as I laid on the deck.

"Hm?" Came the soft answer from around. I glanced over to see the captain leaning over the railing, smoking another cigar. I sighed, but decided not to chastise him.

"So now what?" He glanced over at me, then back out at the ocean.

"Well, I guess we train you more." I inwardly groaned. "Or you can rest. I figure you wanted to hear what's happening with your friends." I sat up at that. bending my arms behind me for support.

"How's everyone doing?"

"Well Killua and Gon are at Heaven's Arena making money. They're already almost at the 200th floor." I whistled as I made my way up and walked over to him.

"How about the others?"

"Kurapika and Leorio? Kurapika has already started learning Nen. Leorio is studying to become a Doctor right now."

"What about Crisei?" Even though he wasn't a hunter I still wanted to know how he was doing.

"He's fine. Last I heard he went home. Don't know much else, 'cept that people have been keeping an eye on him." I wanted to ask why, but I kept my mouth shut. Kai-san let out a long puff, closing his eyes. "They think he's a spy or something." I flung my torso around to face the man.

"Crisei? A spy? Yeah right. I know him, he's not that bad!"

"That's what I told them." Kai-san sighed, glancing at me again. "Don't look at me like that. I did what I could."

"But... Why would they think that?" Kai-san let out a bark of amusement.

"What? Do you not know Nen enough to be able to tell?" It took a few seconds to register in my brain what the captain had said.

"Crisei... Knows Nen?" Kai-san chuckled.

"No. He can use it, but he does not know what it is."

"Then someone needs to teach him!" Kai-san stopped laughing.

"Someone _did_ teach him. The basics that is." I searched through my brain. Was that why I- no, why did I never notice it? "He knew Ten, and surprisingly In. That's why you never noticed." I nodded. He was hiding his Ten with In.

"But then..."

"You still don't get it, huh?" I shook my head. "Then let me put it to you this way. If someone tells you they will never get married, then go to a wedding and you find out they're engaged, wouldn't you be suspicious?" I nodded, not understanding where this was going. "But then if he didn't know he was engaged, wouldn't that make you even more suspicious?"

"Yeah, because who doesn't know they're engaged? Unless their parents set it up without their knowledge."

"Exactly. The same is with this situation."

"They want to know who is teaching people Nen in a way they use it in situations inappropriate for what it's used for."

"Ah, you get it." I nodded. Kai-san put his back to the railing as he continued. "So they're making sure your friend is who he says he is, and if he is, then who's pulling the strings without him knowing."

"I understand."

"Good." He knocked his cigar against the rail, knocking ashes into the water below. "Speaking of that though, have you gotten farther in your training besides your Hatsu?"

"Only that far," I replied. "I can't do Zetsu, and I've mastered Ten and Ren. Even at the hideout when I escaped."

"Tell me, how exactly did you escape? That Kakien Lewt fellow knew Nen." I was surprised at his remark. He chuckled at the look I gave him. "I'm sure you noticed." I shook my head, causing Kai-san to sigh. "You couldn't feel him poking around your Nen when you were talking to him?"

"I did, now that you mention it..."

"His Hatsu was reading people. He could basically tell what you were thinking by reading your Nen." I ah-ed, looking down at the wooden floor of the ship. "We'll have to work on that with you." I stayed silent. "Well?"

"Huh?" I looked up at him. He still wanted an answer to his previous question. "Oh, I broke down the door."

"That was serious metal." I nodded. "Kakien was using one of the doors as a shield." He paused again, then finally sighed and finished. "Normal Ten doesn't knock one of those easy. And none of your abilities so far can make those dents in them like I saw."

"I used Ren."

"Oh?" Kai-san turned back to me in curiosity. "How so?"

"Well... I moved almost all my Ten to my fist... Like Gyo but on a different part of my body. And then I expanded it with Ren and pop!" My hands flared out beside each other in front of my face.

"Ah. So your starting to learn Ryu?" My brain sorted quickly through my knowledge of Nen. Ryu. The term for real-time use of Gyo by a Nen-user in battle.

"Oh. Yeah, I guess..." The captain chuckled.

"So, want to go see how Kurta is doing?" I squinted my eyes in suspicion at the grinning man, then nodded, eager though concerned. Why the sudden change of topic? The captain grinned as he adjusted his hat, then started below deck. "Alright, then let's go." I followed him. We went below deck to where a large fish tank sat. My blue and gold fish swam around energetically in its new home. "So you want to know why I got you a fish?" I nodded, continuing to stare at the hand sized animal. "It'll help you control your Nen."

* * *

I'd been sitting in this pipeline underground for days. The forest I'd previously been in was all but torn up as there was flyers strewn throughout Markham now with my face on it. And a reward. Who knew, in this world I was worth so much less. When if they knew who I was, what I was capable of, I'd be priceless.

I paused my thinking. I was priceless. I was unique, one of a kind. There was no one else like me out there.

Or was there?

I shook my head. No, I couldn't imagine anyone else going through this like I was.

I was alone. The only one who had to go through this. I had to.

I sneezed, then looked up to the grate above where shadows occasionally passed by. They'd come looking in the forest for me days ago. I'd been having to move through the sewers since, and some part of me thought I'd never leave. I'd never step foot out of the sewers. But I knew they'd eventually find me if I stayed in one place. Someone would spot me. I was never truly safe.

"Ugh..." I looked down at my shoe at some muck that had lodged itself into the tread of it and groaned. It was thoroughly disgusting down here. My fear of the alligators in the sewers was destroyed as soon as I stepped down here. Those poor creatures would never survive, and even if they did why would they be here in the first place?

They had more of a life than I did. If they were discovered they'd be helped, sent to a zoo. I'd be sent back to my parents.

Kai-san's voice kept ringing through my ears. Just tell them. Should I? They've never believed me. No one had ever believed me about my parents. They were too powerful. However I'd gotten farther than I ever had before. I had escaped and ran farther than I'd ever been, and maybe my life would change.

I shook my head. No. I wanted to stay in the Nen world. I wanted to stay there for the rest of my life, with my friends, in a world that accepts me. A world much better than this one.

I took off down the pipeline. I needed to get to the subway, I remembered hearing the train and loud noises from the rails and people as they went along doing their business. The pipe led out to a baseline where if I surfaced, I could backtrack along the side to the boarding area. If I was smart about it I could quickly board the train without paying for a ticket. No one would question, and I could hitch a ride to the next town or even next state over. I might be late seeing Kai-san but he'd understand.

I took off down the tunnel towards where I'd heard the sounds a while ago. I tried to avoid the big piles of muck, while at the same time not step into the water in fear of possibly getting soaked. I heard the rumblings of the subway above me, signalling a train leaving the station. I slowed my pace. I didn't need to run.

I carefully watched where I walked, enhancing my eye-sight with my Nen as to not accidentally slip. Spotting the ladder up to the higher levels I paused. In front of me was a disgusting sewage waterfall while across the sewage river was the other side with the ladder. I had to cross now and risk slipping or go under the waterfall.

I shivered and cringed at the thought of racing under the cold, stinky water, and looked over to the other side. It wasn't too far. I turned my head to look at the ladder, then quickly made the decision to jump at an angle.

And then, before I could change my mind, I jumped.

I had to take the Nen off my eyes to shift it to my feet. It's give me a better grip, a better jump. I couldn't see as well anymore but I'd make it across.

Though as I felt my foot touch down on the other side I could feel my body fall out from under me backwards.

I panicked.

And in that panic managed to hook my feet under the bars of the ladder while creating a small barrier to hold my hands up.

I grinned at my progress. I guess training with Kai-san had helped me more than I'd thought.

I pushed my body up till I gripped onto the ladder, then quickly scaled up and to the latch above. I turned the wheel with a squeaky creak, then pushed the heavy door easily open. I didn't know what I was going to do from here; all I had was this small goal. Head down this tunnel to the subway, then make my way along the narrow path along the side till I got to the terminal. I'd wait for a bit until the next train got there.

And as I made my way along the tunnel, trailing my hands along the side, I squinted my eyes at the bright yellow light at the far end of the tunnel in front of me, getting ever closer to me as a whistle sounded. I looked down as the light was trailing along the ground; it would reach me any second.

And so I turned and ran.

* * *

**Hey! I think I'm going to be getting back on track here soon, I've set aside other things that are distracting me from this. Once I get to the Yorknew City Arc it'll go a lot faster. I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do for GREED ISLAND Arc though, so if anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them! XD**

**Anyways, I made a jeopardy game for this! XD Here's the link: jeopardylabs(period)com(slash)play(slash)sleepless-shadows-jeopardy**

**I'm really curious what you get; How well you do on it. XD I worked hard to make it. I might make another one if people like it. XP However, as much as it's for your enjoyment, I'd also like you to take it for my own statistics so I know how well an impact certain things made and how much you remember. If that makes any sense. Thank you!**

**Quick question, if you've seen the animes, who do you think will win? Judal from Magi or Mustang from FMA? In a fight to the death? What do you think will happen? Just curious~ I personally vote for Judal, but my friend is convinced Mustang would win. I've heard both sides, so what do you think?**


	42. Chapter 42

**Second to last chapter for this Arc, so after the next chapter she'll be on her way to Yorknew city! XD And Gon and Killua will know Nen, so... This'll be fun! Oh, did anyone check out the link to the jeopardy game? :|  
**

**Sirenightsparrow - :P Not really. Nice try though!**

**Kri - Keep reading! And as I said at the beginning, no, she cannot. She can only take things that are on her person, like clothes or things in her pockets. That is why the translation devise goes over with her. But yeah, no, she can't take others. :P And you won't have to wait for long! Two more chapters after this and Yorknew starts! And I'm glad you're looking forward to the sequel, it's going to be heart wrenching and full of 'NOOOOOOO' moments! XD**

**violet tsubaki - I'm so glad you like it! XD I hope you continue reading! 3**

**Amu Wants Noodles - O.o Well then. It seems like the majority of people are saying Judal, lol. :P**

**BizzyLizzy - What makes you say that? Out of curiosity.**

* * *

**"Instead of trying to make your life perfect, give yourself the freedom to make it an adventure, and go ever upward." - Drew Houston**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_I carefully watched where I walked, enhancing my eye-sight with my Nen as to not accidentally slip. Spotting the ladder up to the higher levels I paused. In front of me was a disgusting sewage waterfall while across the sewage river was the other side with the ladder. I had to cross now and risk slipping or go under the waterfall._

_I shivered and cringed at the thought of racing under the cold, stinky water, and looked over to the other side. It wasn't too far. I turned my head to look at the ladder, then quickly made the decision to jump at an angle._

_And then, before I could change my mind, I jumped._

_I had to take the Nen off my eyes to shift it to my feet. It's give me a better grip, a better jump. I couldn't see as well anymore but I'd make it across._

_Though as I felt my foot touch down on the other side I could feel my body fall out from under me backwards._

_I panicked._

_And in that panic managed to hook my feet under the bars of the ladder while creating a small barrier to hold my hands up._

_I grinned at my progress. I guess training with Kai-san had helped me more than I'd thought._

_I pushed my body up till I gripped onto the ladder, then quickly scaled up and to the latch above. I turned the wheel with a squeaky creak, then pushed the heavy door easily open. I didn't know what I was going to do from here; all I had was this small goal. Head down this tunnel to the subway, then make my way along the narrow path along the side till I got to the terminal. I'd wait for a bit until the next train got there._

_And as I made my way along the tunnel, trailing my hands along the side, I squinted my eyes at the bright yellow light at the far end of the tunnel in front of me, getting ever closer to me as a whistle sounded. I looked down as the light was trailing along the ground; it would reach me any second._

_And so I turned and ran._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I didn't dare look back. I could hear it getting closer, the whistling, the shaking of the ground beneath my feet... I was trying my hardest not to fall off the side of the narrow ledge. This was it. The light would soon hit me, but by then it'd be too late for them to break.

I was going to get hit by a train. A freaking _train_. After everything I'd been through, I was going to be killed by a_ train_. Great. Just great.

And then I saw it. The little indent of the hole I had first come through. I jumped, pinning myself to the side like a terrified dog as the light appeared for a split second, then cut off from the train as it zoomed by. I was safe. For now. I could feel the air currents trying to pull me into the train, and I put up a barrier to stop them. I instantly felt safer as my shoulders dropped, feeling no air current or pulling pressure from the hunk of metal racing by. And then, it disappeared. Now was my chance.

I let the barrier drop and raced after the train as it quickly started to disappear. _No_, I thought, trying to run faster. However I was no match for a train. _No... Please!_ I started to slow, unable to keep up when my legs hurt already from running at top speed for so long.

"Please wait!" I yelled out, reaching a hand forward. Sparks flew from the bottom of the train just before it disappeared into the distance. A grinding and squeaky squealing was heard as the breaks of the train came on. I continued running as the train came to a halt, hopping on the back and stealing into the last car. I looked out the window to see the train station. So that's why it had stopped.

I sat down on a seat and stared out the window, waiting as people piled into the train and stood around. I could smell the smoke and husky scents from everyone around, and for some reason they made sure not to get near me. Maybe it was my scraggly appearance and sewage scent, maybe it was the Nen I radiated, signaling me out as different. An alien. I guess in a sense I was. I didn't belong to any world. But even still they came no closer than a few feet from me, and I guess I was thankful.

And then the train's doors closed and it was off. The lights disappeared and all that was left was a black stone wall to stare at. I was afraid to fall asleep in fear of the train getting to my stop before I woke so I stared forward until my eyes fell on a bright red sign. Prenton St; three minutes. Tugston; ten minutes. My eyes started to droop. Yundell City, thirty minutes.

Thirty minutes...

* * *

I awoke with a yawn, sitting up and staring forward at Kurta who was making circles in his large tank. _Damn, I did fall asleep..._ I shrugged it off, moving my feet over the hammock I laid on and pushing myself up. _I should go back in fifty to fifty-five minutes I guess._

"Hello Kurta, aren't you a pretty sight for sore eyes." I yawned as I placed my hand to the tank and Kurta came over, bumping his head against the glass. I grinned. He was pretty cute.

"Ah, you're awake?" I turned to my left where the wooden door stood open, Kai-san looking over at me. I nodded. "Thought I heard you. Come on. You said you had to get to Yorknew City, right?"

"Yeah, September 1st," I replied. Kai-san nodded back.

"Well then let's get headed off. Better to arrive early, right?"

"Yup!" I hurried over as the captain started off, closing the door behind me then making my way up to the deck. I looked up at the bright sky. It was so different... The sky, I meant. I could tell, looking at the sky. I knew that it was different. This world, it wasn't like mine. And I guess I was appreciative of that in a way.

"Hurry up Basil!" I looked forward at Kai-san, then with a grin hurried forward. "Make sure she's ready, then we'll get set off!"

"Ay-ay Captain!" I saluted him, then ran around the ship making sure everything was ready for our trip. This was much better than anything in my boring world. Life their... It was always lacking. There were rules. Here, you could do anything, be anyone. And I was me, not some little girl no one paid attention to.

And soon we were off. I practiced my Nen more, having Kai-san bond me with Kurta more, before eventually falling back asleep and leaving back to my world in not even an hour.

I wished I never had to deal with my world again. Maybe some miracle would grant me that wish, like it had for me seemingly so long ago.

But that grinding feeling that came made me hesitant. It was back. It hurt, if only for a split second, but even then it was there, and it concerned me as I awoke in the train. What was it? Was there an issue with my world traveling? I shivered unconsciously as I glanced up at the red sign flashing numbers and letters. That grinding feeling that was occasionally on my skin as I laid in darkness, traveling from one world to another, it terrified me. But I couldn't do anything about it. There was no one who would understand me. Even my friends in the Nen world, they knew nothing about dimensional travel. I had to find this out on my own.

Yundell City; five minutes.

It came sooner than expected, and as the train came to a stop and the doors opened I quickly made my way out in the crowd, who still seemed to avoid me as I hurried along, and climbed up the stairs to the city above.

It was dawn. Still night, but becoming morning. The sun was just starting to rise. I looked at the sky once again. Yes. It was very different. But at the same time, it was still the sky. I don't know what it was, but it made me calm, knowing that I just had to look up, and I could know. I was home.

But home was not here. The Nen world was my new home. And I couldn't wait to get back there.

I hurried up the rest of the steps and out to the city in front of me. It reminded me of the city I was born in; tall buildings everywhere, some even skyscrapers. Lights flooded the streets and poured out of rooms and people casually stood by smoking cigarettes and chatting with their buddies.

Yes, this was the place. I could disappear here. I could lay in an alleyway, and no one would know the difference. No one would notice. I could disappear.

And I ran into the alley nearest me and hid behind a dumpster, laying back and massaging my arm before laying in a protective position, hidden just in case, and fell back asleep.

The grinding sensation didn't come this time.

Why did that worry me more?

* * *

**Alright! I got another chapter up! I'll definitely be able to go faster soon since I have a bunch of things off my palate. XD Wish me good luck! Sorry for the short chapter though, I had trouble finding words to put in the end. :P Actually this is the shortest chapter of the book so far... I'll try to make the next one longer. XD  
**


	43. Chapter 43

**Last chapter of this arc, and then Yorknew City Arc starts next chapter! So excited! XD I will try to speed up posting chapters! Hey, a big special thank you to Zeladious for editing my chapters, it was great working with you! I really appreciate it! ^^  
**

**Sirenightsparrow - LOL no. :P**

**havanatitana - Thank you! XD**

**BizzyLizzy - Ah. Well that's good enough explanation as any lol XD**

**Guest - Basil is fine! Something else isn't though. ;) You're welcome!**

* * *

**"I realized long ago that everyone is living an adventure. It's just what you do with it that makes it special." - Basil Castus**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_It came sooner than expected, and as the train came to a stop and the doors opened I quickly made my way out in the crowd, who still seemed to avoid me as I hurried along, and climbed up the stairs to the city above._

_It was dawn. Still night, but becoming morning. The sun was just starting to rise. I looked at the sky once again. Yes. It was very different. But at the same time, it was still the sky. I don't know what it was, but it made me calm, knowing that I just had to look up, and I could know. I was home._

_But home was not here. The Nen world was my new home. And I couldn't wait to get back there._

_I hurried up the rest of the steps and out to the city in front of me. It reminded me of the city I was born in; tall buildings everywhere, some even skyscrapers. Lights flooded the streets and poured out of rooms and people casually stood by smoking cigarettes and chatting with their buddies._

_Yes, this was the place. I could disappear here. I could lay in an alleyway, and no one would know the difference. No one would notice. I could disappear._

_And I ran into the alley nearest me and hid behind a dumpster, laying back and massaging my arm before laying in a protective position, hidden just in case, and fell back asleep._

_The grinding sensation didn't come this time._

_Why did that worry me more?_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Yorknew City, dead ahead!" I look down at Kai-san, who was currently steering the boat.

"A'right!" He yelled back up, shifting the thick cigar in his mouth. I crinkled my nose at the sight, but scaled down the rope with ease anyways, using my Ten so my hands didn't get all red. When I landed I hurried over to the wheel, popping under Kai-san and grabbing the wheel. He laughed as he left me to steer as he started down, letting me finish the trip to the city. I turned towards him before he left and grabbed his cigar, face twisted in disapproval at I stared him down. He glared back at me. Our Nen flared before he decided to give it up with a chuckle and headed back down to chat with some of the ship hands. I stomped on the cigar before getting back to focusing on the boat, Yorknew barely a speck in the distance.

We'd be there in an hour.

I don't know what I expected while getting there. I guess I expected smooth sailing. Calm seas and an easy ride over. Make it there in time and then Kai-san and I could walk around for a bit together before we had to part ways. I didn't think that getting there was going to be as hard as it was. I didn't expect a giant storm all of a sudden, not wanting us to get near the shore.

It was dark out, not because it was night, but because the clouds above were blocking out the sun. It wasn't a serious one, just a surprising one. The storm hit, and I was forced below deck to make sure I didn't have any panic attacks from the first storm I had been apart of.

Like the one that threw me overboard.

The storm wasn't too bad, it was just lots of rain. It delayed our travels a bit, making our hour long journey into an hour and a half one. But eventually we got to the shoreline. I stared at the city in front of me in wonder.

Last time I was here was the first time I had set foot in this world. I still remembered where the hospital was. This was the same dock I had first met Kai-san.

It seemed like Kai-san had the same thought, as he looked over at me with a wink. I just smiled as he walked over.

"Where I first met you," he said. I nodded.

"And I thank you for this chance. You saved me." I smiled up at the man, who scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ah, I'm just glad I felt the potential in you." He laughed.

"I'm surprised..."

"Hm?"

"No one... Before that, people in my world would just look at me and think: Oh, another homeless girl. Stay away from her; she's not worth the trouble. No one ever saw potential in me..." I was turned away from the captain.

"I guess it was the fact you were different. And I was in a good mood at the time." The captain smiled. "I guess lady luck was on your side, eh?" I smiled as I looked up at him.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So you ready to go meet your friends?"

"They can't be here already! We were supposed to meet up tomorrow!" Kai-san just laughed at my comment.

"Go ahead and look around the city today. Come back here before nine; don't want you out too late. Do what you want, just don't overspend on useless junk!" The two of us grinned at each other and I started off.

"Thanks!" I yelled back at him as I stumbled down the stairs.

"Now git. And make sure you get some sleep tonight or you won't be rested in the morning to see your friends!" I just laughed at his joke.

"Alright, alright!" I hurry off the boat. "I'll be back by nine!"

"You better!"

And that, my friend, was one of the last times I saw Kai-san. I didn't know this though as I ran off the boat and into the city. I didn't know I'd never see that red nose and big grin again for another year or two. I had no idea.

I think if I had I would have refused to leave the boat, but like that would have made any difference.

I stuck to my word, making sure to get back to the boat by nine that night, but I couldn't find the boat anywhere. Instead someone else was docked where we had been. I asked the man about the previous boat that had been docked there but he had no idea. I was worried.

_Kai-san's a strong hunter. He's fine._ But unlike my thoughts I was still worried. Why would he leave without a single note? A warning? Anything...?

"Basil! Hey!" I look over to see Katzo running over.

"Katzo! Where's Kai-san?" I met up with him, watching him in worry.

"He had to leave, it was urgent. He apologizes a lot and wishes he could be here, but you know, things happen..." He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "You can stay at my second cousin's house; he rents a place in town. I was going to stay there for the night before I headed off, I'm sure he wouldn't mind a mate of mine staying as well." I nodded my thanks.

"Yes, of course! I appreciate it."

"No problem. Let's hurry before it gets too late... I get nervous walking around this area at night..."

"But I'm here, I can deal with people if anyone tries anything!" I grin at him. He chuckles at my confidence.

"This is Yorknew, still be careful." I nodded at his words.

"Of course."

We continued on, deeper into the city as the sun disappeared. I started to become nervous, but as we reached a tall building with stairs on the side leading to the many rooms I relaxed, following my ship mate up to a floor nearer to the top. He rapped his knuckles on the door twice.

"Hey, Sato, you in there?" There was no answer. Katzo was about to knock again when there was a click and a few locking noises and the door opened a crack.

"Oh, Katzo, it's you." His reddish eyes glanced at me. "Who's she?"

"She's a ship mate of mine, She's meeting some friends of hers in the city tomorrow and needs a place to stay tonight. She won't be too much of a bother, mind if she joins us?" Katzo looked a bit nervous.

The man looked me over a second. "Yeah, no problem." He closed the door and let down the chain, opening the door for us. Katzo and I hurried in while the man, Sato, closed it behind us.

Even in the dimly lit room I got a good look at him. He was stout, unlike the lean Katzo. His hair was bleached blonde and gelled back. I could see the start of his true almost black hair starting at his scalp. His eyes, which I had thought were a reddish, were actually more of an amber brown. His attire consisted of a plain white tee shirt and boxers, showing he was about to go to bed.

"She can sleep on the couch." He glanced at me with a firm look that made me flinch, but his aura wasn't intimidating. He wasn't a bad guy, I could tell. "Sorry, but I don't have many other options."

"It's fine, it's OK." I smiled at him, then headed over to the couch.

"You have anything?" I shook my head. All I had with me was the stuff in my pockets. The rest of my larger items had been left on the ship. "Alright. 'Night." Katzo smiled at me with a nod before he followed him in silence as they left to the bedroom another room over. I laid down and quickly 'fell asleep'.

I didn't spend much time in my world. I just ran around getting familiar with the area, treating it like a dream world. Running around, dodging glances, finding safe spots to hide just in case I had to run.

By the time I woke up back in the Nen world it was really early. The two boys in the other room were still asleep, or at least completely silent, but the sun was up.

I stared out the window, judging the sun had only started to break over the horizon minutes ago, then set the small stolen apple from my world down as I took out a small thing of paper and left a quick thank you note in the best Nen language I could manage with my limited knowledge, then hurried off to go look around town.

I bounced the apple in my hand as I walked through the streets with a grin.

September first... My friends were here. Somewhere. Killua, Gon... Leorio, and big brother Kura...

I grinned as my steps hastened. _I can't wait to see you again!_

* * *

**Alright! I got another chapter up! Yay! XD I'm so sorry that it was so short... ^^; I promise though! I will make the next chapters longer!  
**

**Anyways, I was wondering... Do any of you have experience or know someone who can create instrumental parts for songs? I love writing lyrics and I made a song based on Basil. I like it so far, but I'm terrible at instrumental bits and was wondering if any of you would like to create one? I can send over the song file and lyrics. Afterwards I'd be uploading it to Youtube, giving credit to you for the instrumental bit of course. :3 Thank you! You guys are awesome! XD**


	44. Chapter 44

**Yorknew City Arc has started! XD Keep your fingers crossed for speedy updates! School's back in session too. :P We'll see!**

**OohPlease - Thank you for the review! I assure you, it's a bad sign, the grinding feeling. ^^ But it'll come into play later~ So no need to worry about it too much right now~ Here's the next chapter!**

**Kri - Yes, and I have again~ Here you go!**

**RaNDoem - XD I'm so glad LOL You're welcome! ^^ I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

**BizzyLizzy - Thanks anyways!**

**Amu Wants Noodles - Thank you! ^^**

**Kitty-Cat134 - Now. :3 Thanks for your support! And the feeling will be elaborated on, you're partially correct. You'll see~**

**74ThatOneBlondeOtaku52 - I didn't know. ^^; I looked at the list and couldn't find many faces to go with numbers, and I wanted their number to be 111. :P And stuff happened. I hope it made sense at least? I was trying to find someone to hunt her and stuff... ^^;**

**Veno - It's September 1st today in the Nen world. :P I tend not to focus too much on the time though since Basil's time differences are weird. :P And I'm glad you like him. ^^ He'll be in more later. And thank you for your support!**

* * *

**"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_We continued on, deeper into the city as the sun disappeared. I started to become nervous, but as we reached a tall building with stairs on the side leading to the many rooms I relaxed, following my ship mate up to a floor nearer to the top. He rapped his knuckles on the door twice._

_"Hey, Sato, you in there?" There was no answer. Katzo was about to knock again when there was a click and a few locking noises and the door opened a crack._

_"Oh, Katzo, it's you." His reddish eyes glanced at me. "Who's she?"_

_"She's a ship mate of mine, She's meeting some friends of hers in the city tomorrow and needs a place to stay tonight. She won't be too much of a bother, mind if she joins us?" Katzo looked a bit nervous._

_The man looked me over a second. "Yeah, no problem." He closed the door and let down the chain, opening the door for us. Katzo and I hurried in while the man, Sato, closed it behind us._

_Even in the dimly lit room I got a good look at him. He was stout, unlike the lean Katzo. His hair was bleached blonde and gelled back. I could see the start of his true almost black hair starting at his scalp. His eyes, which I had thought were a reddish, were actually more of an amber brown. His attire consisted of a plain white tee shirt and boxers, showing he was about to go to bed._

_"She can sleep on the couch." He glanced at me with a firm look that made me flinch, but his aura wasn't intimidating. He wasn't a bad guy, I could tell. "Sorry, but I don't have many other options."_

_"It's fine, it's OK." I smiled at him, then headed over to the couch._

_"You have anything?" I shook my head. All I had with me was the stuff in my pockets. The rest of my larger items had been left on the ship. "Alright. 'Night." Katzo smiled at me with a nod before he followed him in silence as they left to the bedroom another room over. I laid down and quickly 'fell asleep'._

_I didn't spend much time in my world. I just ran around getting familiar with the area, treating it like a dream world. Running around, dodging glances, finding safe spots to hide just in case I had to run._

_By the time I woke up back in the Nen world it was really early. The two boys in the other room were still asleep, or at least completely silent, but the sun was up._

_I stared out the window, judging the sun had only started to break over the horizon minutes ago, then set the small stolen apple from my world down as I took out a small thing of paper and left a quick thank you note in the best Nen language I could manage with my limited knowledge, then hurried off to go look around town._

_I bounced the apple in my hand as I walked through the streets with a grin._

_September first... My friends were here. Somewhere. Killua, Gon... Leorio, and big brother Kura..._

_I grinned as my steps hastened. _I can't wait to see you again_!_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I walked down the lightening street at a brisk pace, slight bounce in my step. September 1st. It was September 1st. I was to meet my friends, wherever they were.

En was still difficult for me. I could do it, but it wasn't that big. Even with it active I'd be dead before I knew someone had entered my range. My barrier was the best option, the closest thing I had, but it took too much out of me to replace my En.

As I sat by the side training my En I felt a familiar presence and opened my eyes to see Leorio walking over.

"Yo, Basil!"

"Leorio! How are you?"

"Doing fine, you?"

"Better now that I've seen you!" He rubbed my hair and I pouted, fixing it back. "I was looking for the boys, glad I found you though! Have you seen either of them or Kurapika?" I shake my head.

"Sorry, no. But we can look together!" Leorio nods at my proposal and the two of us head off in search for them, chatting about our time alone. I told him about the girls and Kurta. Leorio laughed and told me about the things he's studied and how well he's doing. I, meanwhile, was keeping my eyes peeled while I smiled at him, nodding occasionally.

"Hey! Welcome! This one's great… It's the hottest current model! Super-thin and no bigger than a credit card. It has a GPS, which come in handy for meeting with people." I glanced over as I heard the man speaking, pausing my conversation with Leorio as I saw a tuft of silver hair. It looked like Leorio spotted them as well and we started over.

"Don't bother," Leorio said to Gon and Killua, who were faced away from him and I. "That feature doesn't work in many countries, and it isn't even waterproof. The model is for people who only make calls." The two flung around, and I flung my arms around Killua's neck as I hugged him.

"Leorio!" Gon and Killua yelled.

"Basil!" Killua was surprised by the hug. Leorio walked forward with a small wave and a 'yo' as I got a hug from Gon, then looked at what he picked up. It was a phone that looked like... A bug. I didn't like bugs. Especially huge beetles. They were terrifying.

"I would recommend… This Beetle 07." He shows it to the two. "It's a little heavy and pricey, but it includes a translator for the two hundred languages used worldwide."

Killua looked amazed. "What? Seriously? Go with this one. I'll buy one too!"

"Yeah!" Gon replied earnestly.

"Hey, Basil, do you need a phone?" I blinked at Killua, then eyed the beetle warily. "So that we can all contact each other better!" I shook my head.

"I'm good."

"Come on Basil," Gon pleaded.

"I- I already have one... But fine." I had succumbed to Gon's pleas.

"If you already have one there's no point in getting a new one." I looked up at Leorio. Killua eyed me with a mischeivious smirk.

"Well let's see it then." I sighed and pulled out my phone I had stolen from my world from the new city I had come to. The phone was a lot better quality than the ones here, but had a small crack starting and didn't work half the time, probably because this was another world. Leorio looked amazed, but the other two looked unimpressed. The phone guy looked amazed as well.

"I've never seen that model before," The phone guy held out his hand wanting to take a look. Leorio snatched it from me before he could take it though.

"It's really durable, lightweight, and looks like you can see a lot because of the glass. Though it's not as strong as others, much more fragile." He attempts to turn it on, but has difficulty. I turned it on for him, pressing the button and bringing it up. Leorio's eyes flashed in wonder. "I've never seen anything like this!"

"It's from my world. Unfortunately the calling is the only thing that works on it here, and it only likes to work half the time..."

"You need a new phone." I glanced at Killlua, who still hadn't swayed from his original goal: Getting me to have a phone.

"Fine." I sigh, still uncomfortable with the beetle.

"Three, please," Leorio asked the phone man, who was still eyeing my phone as it was handed back to me.

"Three will cost six hundred thousand." Leorio looked flabergasted.

"Six hundred thousand? That's expensive, pops!" I agreed. Not even phones in my world costed that much. Eventually Leorio got it down to 165,870 Jenny, a much better deal. People around us started to applaud Leorio's accomplishment. I was grinning.

"Good job Leorio!" I yelled. He just grinned back.

"So, who's up for lunch?" All three of us raised our hands. Leorio started to lead us off in silence.

As we walked I noticed the three others had gotten stronger; Nen-wise at least. It looked like they all knew Ten, Gon and Killua maybe more. "So... How are you guys doing?" Leorio broke the silence.

"What do you mean?" Gon asked.

"You've trained and gotten stronger, right?" Leorio clarified. The two boys nodded eagerly, ready to share their story. I just watched, ready to listen, until they turned to me. "How about you Basil?"

"I guess, yeah."

"Don't be modest!" Gon was smiling big. I was still hesitant however.

"Eh, don't pressure her Gon." Killua eyed me, still with slight hint of suspicion, but also... Something else.

"Oh no, it's fine. Yeah, I have. Kai-san and I got to meet up, but it was a nice small adventure. I met some new people." I smiled at the three.

"Oh?" Leorio had an interested look on his face.

"Well, I guess it started when I met a guy named Fuzen at the docks..." As we walked I told them my quick story, about Maki and Kakien. My story left smiles, frowns, and at the end, laughs.

"You named your fish after Kurapika? Dork." Killua stuck his tongue out at me and I returned it, until it turned into a contest.

"Why don't you two kiss already?" I flung around to look at Leorio with a red face.

"What?! I- I don't-" It looked like Killua had the same reaction as his face as well was red and he kicked Leorio in the shin. Gon had to step in to help the poor Leorio escape the ex-assassin. I smiled watching them, but my mind wandered. Up until now mostly everything had changed, but one fact remained.

I was still uncomfortable having someone that close to me. Why would anyone want to anyways? I had so many scars, I wasn't pretty, I wasn't that strong... In fact without my friends I wouldn't be here. Well, where I am now. I didn't see myself getting into a relationship anytime soon... And probably ever...

"Hey, Basil, you're spacing out again, did you go to your world again?" I blinked at Gon, who was waving his hand in my face, then smiled and shook my head.

"No, if I had I would have fallen."

"Yeah idiot!" Killua hit Gon over the head. Gon scratched his head sheepishly. I quickly changed topic.

"So what happened with you? Kai-san said you were at Heaven's arena?"

"Yup!" Gon seemed really excited as the four of us entered a burger shop, him and Killua explaining their own little adventure.

* * *

"What?! You returned the tag to Hisoka at Heavens Arena? And you have to be pretty good to make it to the 200s… Just how strong have you gotten now?" Leorio seemed amazed, I just smiled, enjoying the story, but expecting that from them. They sure had become strong, and from their story, it was clear they'd gotten proficient using Nen, though they were careful not to say any of the words themselves.

"Really strong! Hey, did you learn Nen, Leorio?" I face-palmed at Gon's question. Nevermind.

"Yeah, you bet," Leorio replied, quite happily. I held out my hand, fist-bumping Leorio.

"Awesome! What about you Basil?"

"I've gotten pretty far since last time."

"Last time?" Leorio seemed confused.

"Basil knew Nen before she met us." Killua was the one to answer.

"What?!" Leorio seemed shocked, earning a small smile from me. "How'd you know?!"

"Wing-san," Gon quickly replied.

"She used it during the exam. Once I learned what it was I realized that's what she was using." Killua's answer was much more interesting. "But I doubt you really know Nen, Leorio."

"Hey, why would I lie to you? It's the ability to build up a shroud of aura, one's own life force…" Leorio was cut off by the three of us shaking heads at him.

"That's Ten, one of the four major principles for learning Nen," Gon clarified.

"Eh? There more to it?" Leorio looked shocked

"Figured as much." Killua sighed.

"Yeah, I thought so as well." I agreed with Killua. Killua held up a finger as he started to explain Nen to Leorio, me and Gon butting in occasionally to help clarify or explain. Eventually we started talking about goals and what we planned to do.

"Greed Island? What's that?" Leorio asked as Gon and Killua stated they wanted to get the said item.

"A legendary game. We're trying to get a copy at the auction," Killua replied. I sighed, shaking my head. Figured boys would want a game.

"But why a game?" Leorio asked.

"It's a game. Why not?" I responded. "They're boys."

"No, that's not it," Gon replied, looking at me. "Ging made it. I think the game holds a clue to finding my dad." It took me a moment to realize 'Ging' and 'dad' were the same people.

"Oh." I didn't understand people who were close to their parents like Gon was. Killua and I had parents we never wanted to see again. Gon never met his parents, but sought them out. What if they were horrible people? It didn't make sense to me. Then were the people who had wonderful parents. If this so called Ging was so great why would he leave his son like he did? It didn't make sense to me.

"The game holds a clue to finding your dad? What do you mean?" Leorio asked. Apparently he didn't know the story.

"Well, it's a long story..." Gon replied.

"Anyway, the problem is the cost," Killua interjected.

"How much are we talking?" Leorio asked, business face on.

"The lowest starting bid is... 8.9 billion." Killua replied. I paused, quickly converting it to my world's cash, then looked at him in surprise.

"Are you kidding me?" That was around ninety million dollars in my world. "No one in my world can afford that!"

"8.9 billion?!" Leorio seemed just as shocked as me. "How much do you have?" I was surprised at Leorio's question. It seemed nearly impossible from my standpoint to gather that much.

"We made some bad investments, so we're down to 5 million." Gon replied.

"That's still a lot of money," I replied. "Isn't it?"

"Not anywhere close to what we need though," Killua replied. "We had more..."

"Do you need help?" I offered. Gon and Killua grinned at each other, making me start to take back my words.

What have I gotten into?

* * *

**Alright! I got another chapter up! Yay! XD Thought it'd be sooner, but I guess I'm just too busy with other things... T^T**

**Hey, I still need help making an instrumental bit, if anyone can help. ^^ Thanks!**


	45. Chapter 45

**Well, let's see how Basil reacts to the new events unfolding this chapter, eh? XD Oh, I apologize for the cursing at the end of this chapter, Gayle curses. ^^;**

**RaNDoem - Of course~ Glad you liked! XD**

**havanatitiana - Of course! T^T I'll try to, I'm just super busy with other things and you know that spark you get when you start a new story, but eats away as you further it? Yeah, I have that and sometimes I just don't write... But I will rekindle that flame and write more often! XD And I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll add any good fluff until Greed Island... But keep your fingers crossed!**

**Veno: LOL I like that. X3 I will try updating more often. And it's not confusing at all! ^^ Oh, but Kil will~ Once he realizes he likes her, you know young boys. They don't know how to express it~**

**BizzyLizzy - ^^ Of course. Thanks for understanding.**

* * *

**"I hope everyone that is reading this is having a really good day. And if you are not, just know that in every new minute that passes you have an opportunity to change that." - Gillian Anderson**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"I've gotten pretty far since last time."_

_"Last time?" Leorio seemed confused._

_"Basil knew Nen before she met us." Killua was the one to answer._

_"What?!" Leorio seemed shocked, earning a small smile from me. "How'd you know?!"_

_"Wing-san," Gon quickly replied._

_"She used it during the exam. Once I learned what it was I realized that's what she was using." Killua's answer was much more interesting. "But I doubt you really know Nen, Leorio."_

_"Hey, why would I lie to you? It's the ability to build up a shroud of aura, one's own life force…" Leorio was cut off by the three of us shaking heads at him._

_"That's Ten, one of the four major principles for learning Nen," Gon clarified._

_"Eh? There more to it?" Leorio looked shocked_

_"Figured as much." Killua sighed._

_"Yeah, I thought so as well." I agreed with Killua. Killua held up a finger as he started to explain Nen to Leorio, me and Gon butting in occasionally to help clarify or explain. Eventually we started talking about goals and what we planned to do._

_"Greed Island? What's that?" Leorio asked as Gon and Killua stated they wanted to get the said item._

_"A legendary game. We're trying to get a copy at the auction," Killua replied. I sighed, shaking my head. Figured boys would want a game._

_"But why a game?" Leorio asked._

_"It's a game. Why not?" I responded. "They're boys."_

_"No, that's not it," Gon replied, looking at me. "Ging made it. I think the game holds a clue to finding my dad." It took me a moment to realize 'Ging' and 'dad' were the same people._

_"Oh." I didn't understand people who were close to their parents like Gon was. Killua and I had parents we never wanted to see again. Gon never met his parents, but sought them out. What if they were horrible people? It didn't make sense to me. Then were the people who had wonderful parents. If this so called Ging was so great why would he leave his son like he did? It didn't make sense to me._

_"The game holds a clue to finding your dad? What do you mean?" Leorio asked. Apparently he didn't know the story._

_"Well, it's a long story..." Gon replied._

_"Anyway, the problem is the cost," Killua interjected._

_"How much are we talking?" Leorio asked, business face on._

_"The lowest starting bid is... 8.9 billion." Killua replied. I paused, quickly converting it to my world's cash, then looked at him in surprise._

_"Are you kidding me?" That was around ninety million dollars in my world. "No one in my world can afford that!"_

_"8.9 billion?!" Leorio seemed just as shocked as me. "How much do you have?" I was surprised at Leorio's question. It seemed nearly impossible from my standpoint to gather that much._

_"We made some bad investments, so we're down to 5 million." Gon replied._

_"That's still a lot of money," I replied. "Isn't it?"_

_"Not anywhere close to what we need though," Killua replied. "We had more..."_

_"Do you need help?" I offered. Gon and Killua grinned at each other, making me start to take back my words._

_What have I gotten into?_

_End Re-Cap_

* * *

I stared at Gon who was arm wresting people who came to try to win a diamond which we had out for display. It was clear he was pretending to struggle, to me at least. Killua as well as he watched. Gon was very strong, there was no way he'd lose to these men who tried to win it. However, the woman that approached... There was something off... She didn't look like much but if there was anything I knew about this world looks were deceiving. She had large glasses and wore black clothes. A young boy and a large muscled man with long ears and scars followed her.

The three put me on edge...

Why?

It was the girl who tried to win the contest. She sat down and Gon leisurely put his right hand up, which she reciprocated. As they started, Gon took longer than the other times. Killua noticed it as well as I. For once, Gon was truly struggling.

This girl was really strong. Gon was able to get through the testing gate... That was two tons. Sure Killua had pushed three open, making 14 tons, but still...

Shit, 14 tons?! It took me this long to realize?! That was... 28,000 pounds... I just stared at them in shock for a moment, but quickly got over it before they noticed the look on my face. Gon still won, and that was all that mattered currently. I tried to push their strength out of my mind.

I wonder how strong I was...

I shook my head, trying not to think about it. I needed to cheer Gon on.

"Good job Gon!" The three left, chatting slightly upsettingly among themselves before disappearing out of sight. Gon grinned at me, but there was sweat on his brow. I used a handkerchief to dab his face.

"Thanks Basil!"

"She was tough..." I glanced at Killua as he spoke.

"Agreed..." I commented. "Can you continue Gon?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the boy responded. I nodded, but the concern never left my face. What was this feeling itching at the corner of my mind?

I shook my head and got back on task. I needed to pay attention, help make money for my two friends.

Friends... It was so easy to say now. I wondered if it'd always be like this.

But that feeling tingling at the edge of my mind never went away.

It wasn't long before two men showed up, one smaller and looking like a business man and the other taller and stronger looking. They didn't give off any vibe of importance like the girl, but after the muscled man tried, and failed, at wrestling Gon, they offered us a deal. I was hesitant about it, having dealt with dealings in the past, but Leorio was eager to get us to say OK, and I trusted him.

Trust... Who knew I could give it so readily now? I guess it was only for them who deserved it. Not everyone deserved my trust... Killua, Gon, Leorio, Ni-san... Kai-san, I trusted them. At least, I hoped I did.

"Are they moles?" Gon broke my train of thought as I heard him whisper to Leorio.

"Yeah. Looks like we landed a big fish," Leorio replied.

"Huh? Fish? Don't you mean moles?" Gon asked back, confused.

"Stop talking! It doesn't matter!" Leorio quietly yelled back. I ended up chuckling, but followed behind the boys with a smile.

Maybe later on I could find a place. A cheap place I could stay at, call my home. Maybe buy a boat, or something... I was a hunter, so my age shouldn't be an issue. I'd think.

But at the same time I didn't want to be tied down. Ah, but now was not the time to think about those things...

The two men lead the four of us into an building and into an elevator. After a bit the doors opened, I was sure we were far underground- "What is this?" I had to cover my ears.

"Oh! I can feel the blood-lust!" Killua said with a grin. People stood all around, cheering in the dark room. In the middle was two men arm wrestling, a single spotlight illuminating them. The crowds were so loud, yelling, placing bets... It was intense...

"The arm wrestling competition here accepts all comers, and it pays out. The spectators bet on each match, and the winner receives ten percent of all bets placed. We're taking billions on each match." I glanced at the shorter man in surprise. That was... Amazing. I never knew that arm wresting of all things could rake in so much... Wait, so little. Wait. Billions... Means tens of millions. So yeah, so much! I kind of wanted to join!

My head hung though. Unfortunately I was still weak in this world... I glanced over at Leorio, who had a smile on his face. Wait, Leorio was smart. He actually did something _smart_. A chuckle caused him to look at me, and I quickly looked away, but flinched, my laughter cut short as the lights turned on, stalling everyone and everything.

What was going on?

I was answered my a joker looking man with skin as pale as mine who came down, flipping and landing on the ring.

"Sorry, but the arm wrestling match is canceled! We'll be doing some conditional auctioning now!" The man crazily yelled.

"Why was it cancelled?" Leorio asked, now frowning.

"U-Uh, I don't know," the short dude replied. Apparently he was also confused.

"To win, you must play hide-and-seek! We'll start by passing out flyers!" As the man was speaking girls in outfits were walking around handing out flyers. "Examine the pictures on the flyer. Those seven people are your targets!"

I stared at the flyer and it only took me a second to recognize some of them. "Guys..."

"Hey, that girl with the glasses..." Leorio said. Looked like he noticed it too.

"Yep, she arm wrestled me!" Gon replied. My brain instantly went into calculation mode, fitting pieces together, like I had learned to do with my parents. A way to somewhat tell the future, without actually telling the future. Predicting the outcome. Survival.

"In order to win the bid, you must capture and deliver a target to us. For each target brought in, you will receive a nice sum of 2 billion Jenny!" The man finished.

"The Phantom Troupe." It just slipped out of my mouth. I was probably right. It made sense.

"The phantom troupe?" Leorio asked.

"Well, it makes sense actually," Killua replied.

"I'll try and call Kurapika!" Gon pulled out his phone.

"Aha, Kurapika's probably already caught one or more!" Leorio said, starting to praise Kurapika.

"Leorio, as much as I'd love to say those things about Nii-san as well, I don't think it's true... I don't think Kurapika is strong enough... Maybe he'll get one, but still... It'd be for his revenge, not for a reward..."

"Basil's right..." Killua said. Killua and i exchanged glances. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

"That two billion reward per spider is attractive, but finding them will be impossible." Killua said.

"Hm... Hey, we could ask for concrete information on the Net! Like the Troupe's current location! We could offer a large reward!" Gon excitingly stated.

"Hey, hey! We don't have the money for that!" Leorio quickly replied.

"It'll be fine!" Gon assured.

"You sure Gon?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Gon replied, holding up his hunter licence. I sighed understanding what he was going to do. Foolish Gon... But I wouldn't be able to persuade him otherwise...

* * *

"I wonder when we'll see Kurapika and Crisei again..." I really did want to see them and ask how they were doing. I had no idea what had been going on with them and I had a few questions for Crisei... I knew he wasn't a bad guy, and I wanted him to be free of the suspicion the hunter society had placed on him. The three turned to me with thoughtful looks.

"I don't know, but hopefully soon!" Gon said, handing his hunter license to the pawnshop guy.

"Yeah, Kurapika does have a job now..." Killua replied, then turned to Gon who was looking at all the money he'd gotten. "Man, you really pawned your Hunter License? You're insane." Gon ignored him, looking up as he put the money away.

"So what should we do first?"

"Let's start by purchasing a Southernbees catalog," Leorio replied.

"What's that?" I asked.

"It's like a magazine, with items you can buy," Killua responded. "What, you seriously don't have them in your world?"

"Oh, no, there are, I just never gave them thought..." I smiled sheepishly. "So why are we going to do that?"

"To look at what's for sale, idiot," Killua replied, tapping the back of my head softly. "We can look at the auction items and get an estimate on what people are looking for and what's popular."

"Oh~ OK." I stayed silent as I watched the boys do what they were doing, while I kept an eye out for anything I could possibly do to help. I spotted something orange and paused walking, turning to the others quickly. "I'll meet up with you guys later!" I ran off towards the person that caught my eye. Was that Crisei?

I turned a corner to see a tall man with orange hair, back turned to me, chatting with a lady with long golden hair, and quickly hurried over. "Crisei? Hey, we were looking fo- oh." The man turned to look at me. That was definitely not Crisei. "Oh, I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."

"Brat, beat it."

"Eh, yeah. Sorry!" I nodded and turned to take off back to the others. Nevermind, I was such an idiot...

"Wait, I think she's the girl."

"Huh? That thing? Hey brat, wait! Hold up!" I turned and saw him grabbing for me, and flashbacks of the gang I had accidentally killed back in Markham with my Nami flashed through my head. I quickly dodged over and out of his reach and I booked it. "HEY! DAMN STUPID BITCH GET BACK HERE!"

Why me? Why were they after me? Did I do something wrong? See something I shouldn't have? Did _they_ mistake _me_ for someone else _too_? I didn't know, and I wasn't about to find out. So I continued running, dodging through the groups of people, spotting Killua and Gon and Leorio and quickly joining with them, a smile quickly replacing my adrenaline-filled, fearful look on my face. Killua gave me a weird look, I was sure he saw through my mask.

"So what's happening?"

"Well, take a look yourself, it's-" Leorio was cut off as he started handing me the catalog they'd just gotten by a loud voice.

"Goodness sakes, I just wanted to TALK! Is that too HARD for a little BRAT to understand?!" I flinched as a heavy hand landed roughly on my shoulder, and a whimper left my lips as my face quickly showed signs of fear.

"Gayle, please! She doesn't know!"

"Well whose fault was that? Fuck!" My eyes flickered over in uncertainty as the weight was lifted from my shoulder and I saw Killua's stoic expression as he stood next to me, watching the man, hand gripping the man's. It didn't look like much, but I could see the strength, and it kind of scared me, but also... Made me feel... Safe.

"What's going on here?" Killua asked. His eyes flickered to me for a moment. "You OK?" I could hear the slight concern in his voice. I nodded.

"Nothing a brat like you would understand. Ah, fuck!" The man named Gayle couldn't even pull his hand away as Killua's grip got tighter. Our little squabble was starting to draw attention...

"Hey Killua, you're going to break his hand..." Gon looked just as worried as I was. Killua let go of Gayle's hand as Gon spoke, but the look he was giving him dared him to try something else.

"Damn, I just wanted to talk... Tch." Gayle rubbed his hand and took a step back, but the woman, who I hadn't really noticed that much, stepped forward, bringing the four of us to look at her.

"Oh my, who might you be~?" Leorio started forward but the girl just easily shrugged him off as she smiled, bending down to look at the three of us shorter people... Mainly me. I flinched back and Killua raised a hand in warning, but the lady just placed a hand on his without looking at him and his hand lowered as he relaxed, a look of surprise on his face. The lady leaned in to my ear.

"We will be seeing each other again soon..." She whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear her. "Basil."

* * *

**I lied. I'm adding tiny fluffy bits here too. :P At least one every chapter maybe? I mean, really, why not? XD**

**Dun dun dun~ Now what is going to happen? XD**

**Honestly this was the hardest chapter for me to write, at the beginning at least. ^^; Got easier. I tried to fit in enough content, but hopefully... I hope you liked anyways! XD I finished it a while ago but, hehe, I thought I'd upload the next chapter right after. And so, yes, I'm almost done with it! So expect the next chapter soon! And the one after that as well, maybe even the one after that. ^^ I'm cranking them out! XD You're welcome!**


	46. Chapter 46

**So sorry how long it took for me to get the other chapter up, but hey, got another up pretty quickly! Two in one day! Hopefully that makes up for it. T^T**

* * *

**"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - Barack Obama**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_Why me? Why were they after me? Did I do something wrong? See something I shouldn't have? Did _they_ mistake_ me_ for someone else _too_? I didn't know, and I wasn't about to find out. So I continued running, dodging through the groups of people, spotting Killua and Gon and Leorio and quickly joining with them, a smile quickly replacing my adrenaline-filled, fearful look on my face. Killua gave me a weird look, I was sure he saw through my mask._

_"So what's happening?"_

_"Well, take a look yourself, it's-" Leorio was cut off as he started handing me the catalog they'd just gotten by a loud voice._

_"Goodness sakes, I just wanted to TALK! Is that too HARD for a little BRAT to understand?!" I flinched as a heavy hand landed roughly on my shoulder, and a whimper left my lips as my face quickly showed signs of fear._

_"Gayle, please! She doesn't know!"_

_"Well whose fault was that? Fuck!" My eyes flickered over in uncertainty as the weight was lifted from my shoulder and I saw Killua's stoic expression as he stood next to me, watching the man, hand gripping the man's. It didn't look like much, but I could see the strength, and it kind of scared me, but also... Made me feel... Safe._

_"What's going on here?" Killua asked. His eyes flickered to me for a moment. "You OK?" I could hear the slight concern in his voice. I nodded.  
_

_"Nothing a brat like you would understand. Ah, fuck!" The man named Gayle couldn't even pull his hand away as Killua's grip got tighter. Our little squabble was starting to draw attention..._

_"Hey Killua, you're going to break his hand..." Gon looked just as worried as I was. Killua let go of Gayle's hand as Gon spoke, but the look he was giving him dared him to try something else._

_"Damn, I just wanted to talk... Tch." Gayle rubbed his hand and took a step back, but the woman, who I hadn't really noticed that much, stepped forward, bringing the four of us to look at her._

_"Oh my, who might you be~?" Leorio started forward but the girl just easily shrugged him off as she smiled, bending down to look at the three of us shorter people... Mainly me. I flinched back and Killua raised a hand in warning, but the lady just placed a hand on his without looking at him and his hand lowered as he relaxed, a look of surprise on his face. The lady leaned in to my ear._

_"We will be seeing each other again soon..." She whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear her. "Basil."_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Now we wait for the information to come in. First, we catch one of the spiders and make them tell us where the rest are hiding, so that we can bag them all!" Leorio seemed way too excited about our new plan to get money as we walked down the street once more. He'd put an ad out to offer anyone who had information on the troupe's whereabouts money. However I couldn't focus. The troupe, Kurapika not picking up his phone, Crisei's troubles, the game, and then... Those two. The blonde lady and the Crisei look-alike. How'd they know me? I paused walking and thinking though as Gon stopped, bending down and picking up an object.

"This is…" Gon turned the object in his hand. The glint of metal caught my eye and I walked over to him and the bending down Killua.

"Oh, a Ben's knife," Killua replied.

"A Ben's knife?" Gon asked, looking up at the silverette. I finally got a good look at it. It was an interesting blade design...

"A hundred year ago, a mass murderer designed it. He was a famous blacksmith. This is one of his original works. It's a lesser-known piece that a lot of rabid collectors are after. So you recognized it." Killua took hold of the knife, testing it in his grip. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye making me flinch and he quickly turned his gaze away and handed the knife to Leorio to look at.

I kept my distance from the blade.

"No, I didn't. It happened to catch my eye, so I got curious and I used Gyo_._ That's when I noticed a faint aura on it." Gon replied. I quickly glanced back at the blade using Gyo, noticing the faint aura on it. I became curious and suddenly decided next time I was in my world I'd use Gyo. It was nigh impossible, I'd used it before to see and saw nothing, but still, I was in a new area and if I found something with Gyo then... I don't know. A sign? That I wasn't the only one? That people had traveled before between worlds? Or someone else in my world could use Nen?

"Gyo?" Leorio asked, breaking my train of thought.

"A form of Nen_._ Basically you look really hard at something." Killua said, activating his yo as well. Leorio tried and I giggled.

"You need to know Ren first," Gon said with a smile.

"Right! There's another way!" Killua exclaimed.

"Another way?" Gon and I asked. What'd he mean?

"Another way to make money."

"Oh~" I grinned, curious to hear this thought.

"Remember how Four-Eyes mentioned that really talented people use Nen without even realizing it themselves?" Killua said. Gon nodded. I could only listen. "If we search for items with aura on them, like this knife, it's likely some genius made them."

"I get it! We can find hidden gems with no formal appraisal training. Then we auction the item at a higher price!" Gon exclaimed. I nodded. That was smart! I hadn't even thought of that. But that also made me think of something myself, something I could do to contribute.

"If you guys want that, write down your price," the owner of the stand said, bringing our attention to him.

"Customers are supposed to name their own price?" Killua asked.

"Yeah, that's how this market works. You write down what you're willing to pay, and when time expires, the highest bidder wins the item. Understand? Popular items will see their prices shoot up." The owner showed an example.

"Oh, I've seen this before from... Home." My voice shot down slightly at the last word. "It was always fun to watch. I'd occasionally bid on things with a pseudonym just to make my parents pay more when we went to silent auctions. This is a lot more extravagant then those though."

"Nice, so you'll know how to do this," Killua said. I nodded. "Well, then let's get started." He saluted me and Gon as he write down his name and then started off.

"I'll check the online forums." Leorio said as he took off as well. Gon and I split ways as well.

I paused though as they got out of sight and I turned back, staring out into the crowds.

Damn. I forgot to tell them my idea... Oh well.

And I started off again, activating Gyo once more.

* * *

Unfortunately Killua and Gon covered great areas, and I wasn't able to find much on my end. Actually, not much was an over-statement. I didn't find anything. I was looking hard too, but let's just say any item I found Killua or Gon were already bidding on.

I jumped slightly when my pocket vibrated, and I pulled out my new phone, staring at it a moment in disdain before accepting the call and hesitantly placing it up to my ear. "Yeah?"

"Hey, it's Killua."

"Oh yeah, what's up?"

"Not much. What's going on at your place?"

"The only things I've found have yours or Gon's names on them already..."

"Ah. Well keep looking. Did you notice the items have the name 'Zepile' on them though?"

"Er, yeah... He wants the same things as us. I've been keeping an eye out for other things that might have his name on them too and nothing. Think he's using the same method?"

"I don't know. Just keep placing bids until the deadline if you can. There are three of us, so we'll win some!" He was about to hang up but I stopped him.

"Oh wait, Killua!"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking of something... What do you think?" I explained my plan to him. When i finished there was silence on the other side of the phone so long I thought he'd hung up. "Hello?"

"I'm here. After we finish the bidding let's talk to Gon and see what he thinks. Stealing items from your world and reselling them here is great, but it's still stealing."

* * *

I waited in the designated spot Killua said we'd meet up. I was starting to get impatient, but I waited nonetheless without issue as I had had to learn patience with my parents. I wondered if I'd ever see then again... No. I shook my head. I never wanted to see them again. I wanted... I wanted to stay in this world. The Nen world. This was my new home.

I spotted Killua and Gon's aura's coming towards me and perked up, facing in their directions. Seconds later I spotted them and the three of us met up and started walking towards our hotel. The two were holding three objects.

"So ultimately, we won 3 and lost 1." Killua said.

"Yeah, he got that weird pot," Gon replied.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more... I should have focused on the pot more," I said, ashamed that there was nothing in my arms.

"It's fine," Killua said. "It looked like he seriously wanted that pot. Might have been worth a lot, but it wasn't too bad. Let's take these to the auction house now. Oh, Basil, you can tell Gon your plan!"

"Plan?" Gon asked.

"Oh! I figured things in my world would be worth quite a lot here, like my phone for example. A lot more than in my world. Unfortunately I don't have any cash, so I can't buy anything, and hunter licenses don't work. So..."

"She figured she can 'borrow indefinitely' some things from trash bins and people's pockets and stuff," Killua interjected.

"You mean steal?" Gon asked, a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"Er... Yeah. But it's different..."

"Different how?" Gon asked.

"Told you he wouldn't approve," Killua whispered. I gave them a nervous look.

"People in my world have enough money. You can take a lamp from someone, they'll replace it no problem."

"But it's still stealing," Gon said with conviction. I nodded. I understood. "But... Trash bins are OK. They're just throwing that stuff out, right?" I nodded, a smile coming onto my face.

"So it looks like that's an OK," Killua said. "Want to head over now? The sooner the better." I nodded.

"I just need a safe place to do it."

"I'll find one!" Gon said running off. Killua made a face, then turned to me.

"I'll make sure you're safe." I nodded with a smile. Killua quickly turned away. "Just hurry up. I'll carry you."

"O-oh! OK." I got onto his offered back.

"You're still too light."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Eat more." He shifts his arms, digging through a pocket and handing me a lollipop. I took it, no questions asked. He'd just yell at me if I refused. Then he started off, and I put the lollipop in my pocket. I'd eat it on the other side.

"Thank you."

"Yeah." I could have sworn he was blushing.

* * *

I sighed as I walked down the alley, lollipop in my mouth. I was looking side to side, kicking cans and containers to see if there was anything inside. Eventually I found one and peeked inside. Trash, nothing but rotten food and maggots. I wrinkled my nose and got out of there, going out to the main street and walking down, looking at the stores left and right. I needed to find something... Something good without stealing it... I glanced at my watch. Five minutes. I had fifteen more minutes to look.

I saw a toy store, lights off. They were closed. Made sense, it was night here. I dodged into the alley carefully, eyes and ears, as well as Nen, looking out for anything, or anyone, suspicious. I was using Gyo as much as I could. Might as well, it'd be interesting if I spotted anything. Unfortunately, just like I thought, nothing stood out.

I looked around the cans and easily found discarded things that'd be no use to a homeless person but for a girl travelling dimensions they were pure gold. I grinned, fitting as much as I could of the small items that I could carry into pockets and clothing so it'd travel with me. Unfortunately I couldn't take the giant teddy; my pockets were much too small.

After grabbing enough I moved on to see if there was anything else. As I got close to my twenty minute mark I found a nice place to hide and got settled. Took me a while but I eventually fell asleep.

That was one problem I found. I HAD to travel back and forth. If I stayed in one world too long I got exhausted, tired. I needed to sleep. And then in the other world I had slept too much. Why? I wish I could just stay in one world. Dream again.

_You want..._

What?

_Basil... You need..._

What was that?

_Stop..._

Stop what?

But the voice stopped as I felt the wind pushing at my face and my eyes fluttered open back to the Nen World.

No grinding. Maybe more like sandy. Yes, I felt sandy, slimy... Stuck.

But the feeling soon went away, like the other times, leving behind the feeling I was missing something.

But what?

* * *

**Alright, so two chapters in one update. Don't be expecting this often. The next one should be updated fast though~ But who knows~ Oh, for the curious I'll say Crisei will be back next chapter, but he won't be staying around long. Just a bit longer than Kurapika. Next time we'll see him is after the Chimera Ant Arc. :P**


	47. Chapter 47

**Another chapter! XD**

**havanatitiana - You're welcome~ I'll see what I can do. I can't guarantee anything really good until Greed Island though~ And you'll see at some point. Might be a LONG time, but eventually~**

**BizzyLizy - Not exactly, but you're onto something. ^^ Keep guessing!**

**Lydia407 - Thanks! Is it creepy to say I just got to the part in Skyrim where Lydia starts following you right before you reviewed? XD**

**Zeladious - The voice has been there, just not as... Clear, until now. And yes, it'll be more mysterious later~ ^^ And the look-alike was a spur of the moment. :P I'm doing fine. You~?**

* * *

**"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." - George Bernard Shaw**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_I sighed as I walked down the alley, lollipop in my mouth. I was looking side to side, kicking cans and containers to see if there was anything inside. Eventually I found one and peeked inside. Trash, nothing but rotten food and maggots. I wrinkled my nose and got out of there, going out to the main street and walking down, looking at the stores left and right. I needed to find something... Something good without stealing it... I glanced at my watch. Five minutes. I had fifteen more minutes to look._

_I saw a toy store, lights off. They were closed. Made sense, it was night here. I dodged into the alley carefully, eyes and ears, as well as Nen, looking out for anything, or anyone, suspicious. I was using Gyo as much as I could. Might as well, it'd be interesting if I spotted anything. Unfortunately, just like I thought, nothing stood out._

_I looked around the cans and easily found discarded things that'd be no use to a homeless person but for a girl travelling dimensions they were pure gold. I grinned, fitting as much as I could of the small items that I could carry into pockets and clothing so it'd travel with me. Unfortunately I couldn't take the giant teddy; my pockets were much too small._

_After grabbing enough I moved on to see if there was anything else. As I got close to my twenty minute mark I found a nice place to hide and got settled. Took me a while but I eventually fell asleep._

_That was one problem I found. I HAD to travel back and forth. If I stayed in one world too long I got exhausted, tired. I needed to sleep. And then in the other world I had slept too much. Why? I wish I could just stay in one world. Dream again._

You want...

_What?_

Basil... You need...

_What was that?_

Stop...

_Stop what?_

_But the voice stopped as I felt the wind pushing at my face and my eyes fluttered open back to the Nen World._

_No grinding. Maybe more like sandy. Yes, I felt sandy, slimy... Stuck._

_But the feeling soon went away, like the other times, leaving behind the feeling I was missing something._

_But what?_

_End Re-Cap_

* * *

"I am very sorry. But the auction house cannot accept any additional items, once the catalog has been published." I was internally laughing. I'd figured as much, but there was no point in telling the two. We'd already bought those, and I'd already dug things out of the trash. Not everything had made it with me but most did. I was now borrowing Killua's backpack for storage for the extra items so I wasn't being weighted down. Plus it was less likely for someone to pickpocket them.

"Isn't there any way? We really want to auction these," Killua asked.

"I suggest you give the trade market a try," The man at the desk replied.

"The trade market?" Killua questioned, looking at me. I stared back at him with a look. Why'd he think I had the answer? I could only guess...

I shrugged.

"The trade market..." The man started to give us directions and an overview of the trade market, then we headed off in silence. I watched the two boys as we walked. I waited a moment until speaking.

"So..." I paused, and hesitated a moment longer when the two looked back at me. "Anything happen while I was out?" The two looked at each other a moment before giving each other looks. That concerned me. "What?"

"Killua poked you."

"Did not! You pulled on her cheeks!" My hand immediately went to my face.

"You put flowers in her hair!"

"You took them out! They looked good!" Killua paused, gritting his teeth, about to say something, then stopped.

"Well you... You..." Gon grinned.

"You blushed Killua!"

"Did not!" This ended with the two running around like a couple idiots, chasing each other playfully, laughing.

I couldn't help but chuckle too.

* * *

Killua handed me his bag, and I just stared at him as I held it, a dumbfounded look on my face. "What? If they see both of us with the bag your plan won't work, will it?" My face had a look of realization and I smiled, nodding. "OK, we'll be back soon." The two headed into the store, waving as I waited. Once they disappeared I turned, leaning back on the wall and resting, looking up at the sky.

Now... I just had to wait. For what? Well, for the two to finish up. For how long? I could only guess. And I didn't want to go back to my world anytime soon. That feeling... And that voice... It concerned me, but not only that, it scared me. I didn't know what it was; I mean it could just be nothing... But it could be something, and the possibility of that 'something' being me not travelling was too much. I didn't want to risk being stuck back in my world with no way to get back here.

Like one big dream. That's what it'd feel like.

I sat there in thought for a while, thinking about random things, the future, Crisei, my brother... What would everyone do if I never woke up? Would they think I died? Would I ever travel again? I had to stop my thoughts because it was starting to stress me out. I didn't know what the future would bring, but... Stressing about the several possibilities was no help. Especially when I needed to focus on the present.

A tall man entering the trade shop in a huff brought my attention, and I watched him for a bit, then blinked as I heard him shouting.

"That's a lie!" Then the door closed and all I heard was muffled yelling from him. I wanted to enter so much, see what was happening, but I couldn't. I had to wait. Instead I distracted myself with examining Killua's backpack I had put on my back. It was surprisingly comfy, and even though it had many straps they were not that restricting. In fact only two of the six straps were actually holding it onto my back, the other four were just for added support and decoration. You'd never find a backpack like this in my world unless someone homemade it. And even then...

I had to admit it was pretty cool.

"Basil! Basil!" I turned to look at Gon and Killua, Gon tackling me to the ground. A surprised noise escaped my lips and I quickly braced myself for the impact, but Killua caught me. I thanked him with a nod of my head. "We made so much money!"

"Oh really? That stuff was really worth so much?" I asked.

"One of the items was a treasure trove," Killua stated. "We would've never known if it weren't for him." He jut his thumb back.

"Him...?" I repeated, glancing at the tall man who was following them. He smiled and held a hand out to shake. I smiled and reciprocated.

"So it's your turn. Just give it a while, we don't want you to go in so soon after us," Killua explained. I nodded. "Meanwhile let's look for a place to eat."

* * *

"So you're Zepile," Killua said after the four of us had sat down at a diner and introduced ourselves.

"Thanks, Zepile-san," Gon said happily. Apparently Zepile had helped them get a fair deal with finding the treasure trove was real. I laughed though when Killua had told me the story he'd thought up to tell the trade market man.

"You don't need to thank me," Zepile replied. "Consider it give and take. Twenty percent sounds fair. My cut when you sell the treasure." I couldn't help but glare at him. I did feel like we should give him something for helping us, but we needed the money, one, and two, twenty percent? Even I was only getting no more than ten percent of this, and only because the two insisted.

"What? You're going to rob us?!" Killua yelled, standing slightly. I placed my hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him as we were in a restaurant.

"That's uncalled for," Zepile said. "It's my fee for providing advice."

"I don't see a problem. He helped us back there," Gon put in.

"Me either, but we need the money..." I replied.

"Yeah, we need to collect as much as we possibly can," Killua agreed. "I might be willing to buy him lunch though."

"Really? Then I'll settle for that," Zepile said.

"Huh?" The three of us stared at him in surprise. Well... That was easy.

"So Zepile-san…" Gon started, after the four of us had calmed and ordered. I was sipping on a shake happily. Large size, thanks to Killua. He insisted. Said I needed to eat more. Protein too, had gotten me a huge steak. I didn't mind, but I felt... Over pampered.

"Hmm?" Zepile looked up from his food.

"I feel bad, so we'll pay you a fee," Gon said. I nearly choked on a bite of meat.

"Nah, it really is okay," Zepile replied. "In return, just tell me something." He set his silverware down and stared at the three of us. "What tipped you off to bid on these items?"

"Is it okay to tell him the truth?" Gon asked, looking at Killua and I. Killua shrugged, while I shook my head.

"Sure."

"No."

Killua and I stared at each other for a second. "Kai-san said not to tell people, because it could be dangerous... That's why I never told you guys."

"I agree," Killua said. "But he helped us, and he asked."

"We should give him an honest answer," Gon agreed. I sighed.

"Well then it'll be your faults if there's an issue." I paused, leaning back. "Kai-san said not to tell anyone, and I'm sticking with what he said." I wouldn't stop them.

And so that's what they did. The two told him about Nen and how we used it to spot the objects.

"I see, Nen aura… If you're telling the truth, that explains why you bought the statue, not realizing something was hidden inside," Zepile was contemplating their words. "So, why do you need money so badly?"

"We can answer that question, but not for free. Afterwards, you have to answer our question," Killua immediately responded.

"Sure, that's fine," Zepile replied.

"There's an item we want to buy at the auction," Killua responded smartly. "That's why we need money."

"Oh, which item are you interested in?" Zepile asked, but Killua shook his head.

"It's our turn now," Killua quickly said. "You estimated that this treasure was worth 300 million, right? Could we receive that much at the trade market?" I stared at Killua. 300 million... That was good. Not quite the eight billion we needed, but getting there.

"At the trade market? They mainly deal in hard cash… If you show up abruptly, you won't get a fair price," Zepile responded.

"What?" Gon said.

"Seriously?" Killua was shocked as well.

"Damn..." I mumbled.

"Now it's my turn. I'll repeat the question. Which item do you want?" Zepile asked.

"A game called Greed Island," Killua responded.

"Oh, that ridiculously expensive game?"

"How much is that weird pot that you bought worth?"

"Huh? This? It's garbage. Nothing at all. Why do you want that expensive game? I believe it costs 6 billion?"

"8.9 billion. We're looking for his dad. That game has a clue inside."

"Oh…"

"Why did you choose that pot? If you knew the wooden trove was real, shouldn't you bid on the more valuable item? But you went for the pot. Why?" Even I was curious.

"You see… I made this pot."

"Eh?" All three of us were surprised.

"But it wasn't an original creation. It was a replica. In other words, a counterfeit. When I was a destitute, this was how I made money. Once I became an appraiser and began earning money, I quit doing that. When I see how poorly these are made, I feel mortified! So I browse the markets and buy them back," Zepile explained.

"How much would a real one cost?" Killua asked.

"It's my turn," Zepile stated, glancing at Gon. "What does your dad do?"

"He's a pro Hunter," Gon replied.

"How much would a real one cost?!" Killua yelled, standing up. I became nervous. We were really drawing attention...

"Forty to fifty thousand," Zepile responded without batting an eye. "Is that so? A pro Hunter, huh? There are a few in the antiques world, and not one of them is ordinary. Won't it be impossible for you three to find him alone?"

"It'll be fine. Basil and I are pro Hunters, too," Gon responded with a smile.

"Huh? Seriously?" Zepile seemed surprised.

"Okay, your turn to ask a question," Gon quickly said.

"Okay, I have two. First... What's in that bag?" He motioned to the bulging back I was carefully guarding. I blinked at him.

"Why do you ask?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes slightly.

"You were going to sell it at the Trade Market too, right? I didn't see much else in the area that had high value, and with your Nen-Aura technique you stated, it makes me curious what else you picked up, and why you didn't sell it at the same time." I waited a moment before answering.

"They're things from my home that others were just throwing away. I don't know how much value they'll be here, but they're unique and you'll never find another in the entire world."

"Oh really?" Zepile seemed interested. "May I see?"

"Might I ask a question first?" I asked. He nodded. "How did you deal?"

"Huh?"

"When you had little money and had to make those pots, how did you find places to rest, how did you get the materials for the pots? How did you sell them in the first place?"

"Oh... Well I spent the little money I had on supplies, then made the pots. Sold for what they were worth, and eventually made enough for a place to stay. Took things from there."

"But what if you had started off with no money? How would you have done it?" Killua and Gon looked at me with slight sympathy, understanding what I was asking.

"Without any money to start... I probably would have tried to find a job or made a living being a tour guide, maybe hunting or fishing..." I thought over his response for a bit, then nodded. "Your other question?"

"Oh yes, this'll be my final question. Can I help you with anything?" The three of us stared at him dumbfounded. "If you want to make money at an auction, you'll need an appraiser. You could even say with an appraiser, you can always turn a profit. You can set the price you want to pay me. How's that?"

"Then you have to answer our last question," Gon said. "Why do you want to help us?"

"Because it made me happy…" Zepile responded, looking at his pot. "It made me happy that this piece of junk actually caught your eye." Gon shot up from his seat.

"It's not a piece of junk!" He yelled, but lowered his voice. "It definitely holds your Nen. Everyone has some aura… But it's incredibly difficult to harness! You must concentrate and train for a very long time. I can tell how much effort you put into making that pot! You have a lot of talent!" Gon then sat back down. "I still think it's a weird pot, though." Zepile smiled.

"My eyes didn't deceive me," Zepile said. "When you appraise objects long enough, you also become a good judge of character. I look at sellers and the buyers too, not just the merchandise. It's a lot harder to appraise humans than it is to appraise antiques. When I saw you, I knew right away… that I wanted to work with you. That's my answer. What's yours?"

"Looking forward to it," Gon responded. I smiled as well, nodding.

"We'll decide your fee after we see how you do," Killua said.

"Okay! With that settled…"

"Wait!" Gon interrupted. "First… Teach me those techniques you talked about earlier."

"You're interested?" Zepile seemed surprised.

"Yep! Hoodwinking, double-dipping, welding… What else is there?" Gon asked in thought.

"Seriously… That isn't important at all!" Killua yelled, bonking him on the head.

"They sound fun! Like magic tricks!" Gon replied.

"We're not here to have fun!" Killua yelled back. I just laughed as the two bickered.

"Like old times, huh?" I chuckled at the voice's question.

"Yeah, not much has changed," I replied, then frowned and turned to look at the redhead crouching next to me in surprise. "Crisei!" I flung my arms around his neck.

"Hey, hey, watch it!" My outburst had drawn Gon and Killua's attention.

"Crisei!" And suddenly, the tall lanky man was surrounded by three young short people.

* * *

**Alright, so I got through halfway with this one pretty fast, then hit a hard area where I struggled, and the end took me longer than I'd have liked...**

**QUESTION! Any ideas of what I should do for the next chapter? Will take me a while until I have a good idea, I literally have nothing; well maybe half a chapter but still... I got halfway through this chapter when I remembered Basil can't use Zetsu so won't be able to travel with them after the troupe. Which is good, because of certain reasons I'll spill only if asked. But then that means I don't have an outline to work with... And I literally have zilch ideas. I mean, I have the beginning started, but yeah, any ideas?**

**ALSO! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. It'll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. Thanks!**


	48. Chapter 48

**Another chapter! XD So happy with how fast I'm getting these out, but just warning you all, it's going to be slow here because of writers block! Want to help? Review with ideas or vote on the poll on my profile!**

**Kri - Thanks! Ah, that'd be interesting, however issues would arise. You know, with the mind reading. :P But thanks for the idea!**

**BizzyLizy - Thanks for the idea! We'll see~**

**Zeladious - Me too, unfortunately I stress at home with nothing to do without school. :P But thanks! Yeah, he's back. ^^ And yeah, when they find the troupe, she'll have to be basically as useless as Leorio. :P I'll find something. Thanks for the votes!**

**RaNDoem - 1) You'll see~ I'm not spoiling whether they're good or bad, just you'll see~ And yes, that was a Killua and Basil moment. 2) Yes, it has, finally. ^^ I'm glad you liked! 3)I'm glad you like him so much! XD You're welcome lol and here's the next chapter. ^^ (SPOILER - Don't worry he will. XD)**

* * *

**"Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality." - Nikos Kazantzakis**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"My eyes didn't deceive me," Zepile said. "When you appraise objects long enough, you also become a good judge of character. I look at sellers and the buyers too, not just the merchandise. It's a lot harder to appraise humans than it is to appraise antiques. When I saw you, I knew right away… that I wanted to work with you. That's my answer. What's yours?"_

_"Looking forward to it," Gon responded. I smiled as well, nodding._

_"We'll decide your fee after we see how you do," Killua said._

_"Okay! With that settled…"_

_"Wait!" Gon interrupted. "First… Teach me those techniques you talked about earlier."_

_"You're interested?" Zepile seemed surprised._

_"Yep! Hoodwinking, double-dipping, welding… What else is there?" Gon asked in thought._

_"Seriously… That isn't important at all!" Killua yelled, bonking him on the head._

_"They sound fun! Like magic tricks!" Gon replied._

_"We're not here to have fun!" Killua yelled back. I just laughed as the two bickered._

_"Like old times, huh?" I chuckled at the voice's question._

_"Yeah, not much has changed," I replied, then frowned and turned to look at the redhead crouching next to me in surprise. "Crisei!" I flung my arms around his neck._

_"Hey, hey, watch it!" My outburst had drawn Gon and Killua's attention._

_"Crisei!" And suddenly, the tall lanky man was surrounded by three young short people._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I stared at Crisei a while in thought. I wanted to talk to him alone if possible... Ask him questions... Figure things out. Was he being watched right now? Did he know he was being watched? Did he know about Nen? My eyes darted around the room as well.

"Hey, Basil?"

"Huh?" I looked up at Crisei, who'd stopped chatting with Gon and Killua.

"You OK? You're pretty quiet. Oh, what'd been going on with you?" He looked back at Gon and Killua. "Wait, that's all, right?"

"Yeah," Killua replied, intertwining his fingers behind his head as he leaned back.

"We just can't get in contact with Kurapika. He won't pick up," Gon continued. I nodded. Crisei nodded as well and looked back at me.

"So tell me, what's been going on in your world?" He chuckled at his own joke. "In both senses." I thought on my answer, then told him the short version of my trip, excluding the part he already knew when I met up with Gon and Killua.

"The rest you already know." I motioned to the other two boys.

"A me look-alike, huh~?" Crisei seemed to think. "Definitely not Trance, you said he was called Gayle?" I nodded.

"Who's Trance?"

"Younger brother by fifteen seconds," Crisei responded.

"You have a brother?" Gon asked.

"Yeah, twin," Crisei responded. "Went off on his own path. Anyways, might as well help now that I've found you! Though... I feel bad mooching off of you all like this..."

"It's no problem!" Gon said with a grin. "You said you were out of money for the hotel, right?"

"Yeah, you can just bunk with Leorio, I'm sure he won't mind," Killua continued.

"You sure?" Crisei looked like he wanted to make sure he was cleared before he decided anything.

"Yeah!" I replied happily, handing him my milkshake. It was much too large. I couldn't eat that much... Even though I felt the look from Killua, I tried to ignore him.

"Oh no," Crisei held out a palm, shaking his head. "I'm lactose intolerant, sorry. But thanks for the offer!" I was slightly disappointed, but nodded in understanding. Killua gave me a smug smirk. I stuck my tongue out at him, then took another sip of my milkshake.

"Oh, we need to get back to Leorio and see what he's come up with!" Gon said. The two boys rushed to get going.

"Oh, I'll meet you there!" I said quickly before looking at Crisei. "Can we talk?"

"Uh, yeah..." Crisei seemed nervous. "Why?"

"Oh, something Kai-san said to me."

"The old sailor?"

"Yeah."

"What'd he say?"

I pursed my lips, looking at the two boys leaving before heading out with Crisei, walking along. Once we got out of the restaurant I spoke. "Have you ever heard of Nen?"

"Nen...? I don't know... I don't think so. Why?" I couldn't sense a lie from Crisei's answer.

"Because not everyone can harness it... Especially when you don't know it exists. Kai-san said you were in danger or something because you knew how to use Nen, but you didn't know what it was, and they wanted to know how and why..."

"What exactly is Nen?" Crisei asked, interested.

"Is like aura," I replied. "You can harness it to do many things." I continued to explain, while Crisei listened, silent, as we got closer to the hotel.

"Yeah, this Ten, you say I'm using it?" Crisei asked. I nodded. Crisei seemed in thought for a bit until he stopped at the doorway to the hotel. I stopped as well. "When I was a boy I had to go around doing errands. My younger brother was the tough one, always doing the man work, even though I was older."

"By 15 seconds."

"I was still older. There was this lady in town that would give me palm readings and card readings all the time, but I was young and for the life of me I can't remember what she said... All I remember is one day she pulled me aside after a reading with a panicked face and said I needed to do as she instructed or everyone would be in peril. That got me enough I listened to her, and started training in meditation under her. Eventually I started using this... Ten. But She never said anything." I listened to his story. "I never knew what it was, thought it just meant I'd gotten stronger. But after a bit she left me alone, then disappeared." I was putting peices together.

"Fortune teller you say?" He nodded. "My guess is she found out about some trial in your future where you'd need to know Nen, or else there'd be an issue, and if you didn't learn Nen then than there'd be... Complications." He nodded, as my words made sense. "But who knows, it could just-"

"Basil!" Gon and Killua came running out. I paused, watching the two boys, followed by Leorio, come running out of the door.

"We got a hit!"

* * *

I watched Leorio press buttons on his phone as he wired money over to a couple that had sent us a picture of two spiders. As I glanced down at the two chatting from our spot hidden above in the building I knew... We'd gotten in way over our heads again.

"How would we catch them?" Leorio asked us, putting down his phone. I saw a couple hurriedly leave from below, clearly the ones who took the picture and had just gotten the money.

That was one thing I didn't understand, that wasn't in my world. Wiring money over. It didn't make sense. Sure, if you had internet and the two could exchange money easy, internet cash, credit cards, the like. But over the phone...? No, that was new to me.

"It's impossible. They're way stronger than us," Killua replied.

"What was that?!" Leorio yelled, standing. "We won't know until we try! Why are you saying this now Killua?!"

"Quiet... They'll notice us," Killua stated calmly.

"Killua's right," I said. "I got that vibe from them when the girl arm wrestled Gon too... They're way stronger than us..." The four looked at me in concern. "W-what?"

"Are you OK?" Gon asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"You're basically quivering," Killua stated as well. It was then I noticed it, my increased heart rate, my body shivering in fear, all things showing how terrified I was. I thought getting stronger would stop me from being scared, but no. I was still a timid girl, no matter which way you looked at me. Staring down at those two... I felt the same as I did back then, quivering under my father's boots.

I was still weak.

"I'll be fine," I responded, a small smile touching my lips a second. They clearly didn't believe me. "Really. Right now we have something else to deal with."

"Yeah," Crisei said, nodding. "I want to help, if I can." He stared down at his hand in thought. He looked back up, smiling slightly at me. Seemed like we were in the same boat, him and I. Similar than we thought.

"But it's still true," Killua continued. "I knew it as soon as I saw them. My dad once had a hit on a Troupe member. One of the few times I ever heard him complain. Said the job wasn't worth the price. That's considered the greatest compliment a target can get. That's when he told us to stay away form the Troupe. It's been a few years, so I thought we might stand a chance... "

I understood. I thought, given time, I'd be able to face my parents, I'd be stronger than them, I'd be able to just say no, and fight back; that I'd have a chance. But no, I figured if I saw their faces, I'd be too terrified to try.

"They're really that strong?" Leorio asked, calming down.

"Would it help you to picture two Hisokas sitting there?" Killua asked. I paused at that. Good analogy. Scary, but accurate.

"No way. That put things on a whole new level," Crisei said, shaking his head, backing off slightly.

"That would definitely be something we can't handle," Leorio agreed.

"So, why do you think they're here?" Killua asked.

"Aren't they on a date?" Leorio replied with a questioning tone.

"Where did you get that idea?" Killua asked with a scoff. "No, they seem aware of their surroundings. But, they aren't afraid. They're waiting... For us." I hesitantly nodded, agreeing with his words.

And then a chill filled the air, permeating from the two spiders below, causing our group to shiver and glance down.

"You guys... I've got a really bad feeling..." Gon said worriedly.

"Did they notice us?" Leorio asked.

"It's okay. They haven't noticed us yet," Killua assured him. I nodded. They didn't seem like they were aiming it at us. Either they were 'testing the waters' or they were arguing with one another...

"Are you sure?" Leorio asked, still worried. "Besides, I can't use Zetsu like you guys to mask my presence." I paused at that. I couldn't use Zetsu either...

"If we used Zetsu, that would attract their attention. They aren't trying to sense Nen. They're trying to see if there's anyone in this area who looks or acts suspicious," Killua stated. "So, you'd better wipe those looks off your faces. Act normal." He sighed at the weird faces the others gave, glancing at me. I just looked plain concerned Killua.

"You OK Basil? If you don't want to engage them then-"

"Oh no! I..." I trailed off, and the others looked at me weirdly. "I can't use Zestu..." I said it slowly.

"Huh?!" I scratched the back of my head sheepishly and explained my situation. I explained my Nami, which Gon had witnessed during the second phase of the exam. Killua listened intently, thinking, planning, accepting my situation, even though it confused them.

"I have a question," Gon asked once I finished, earning the rest of our attention. He waited a second, then continued. "Can you use Zetsu if your translation device is taken out?" I stared at him a moment, thinking. I probably could. I'd never considered it before.

"Not at first," Killua responded for me. I glanced at him in surprise, which he dutifully returned with an equally shocked look. "What? I did some research... Just in case. You know, if it breaks again..." A smile tugged on my lips for a second, but I was more interested in what he'd learned. "Basically it's 'hardwired' to her in a sense. That's why it's so painful to take out and put back in. Do it enough times and it'll start glitching and eventually stop working. But for a while after it's taken out, its effects are still coursing through her body, even though the device is no longer working." Crisei, Leorio, and I understood, but Gon was steaming from the head. Killua sighed. "Think of it as a drug. You take the pill, and for a while it's stuck in your body and still effects you even though you're not eating it. Eventually it'll stop effecting you."

"Oh~" Gon understood.

"Anyways, I thought up a plan," Killua said. "Gon and I will tail them. We absolutely cannot let them spot us. We'll use Zetsu." He paused, glancing at me. "Basil, you'll stay behind and track us. You know how to do that with your phone, right?" I nodded. "Good. Provide assistance from the outside, just in case." He turned back to Gon. "Gon, I need you two to make me two promises. If they see us, we give up immediately and escape. If I judge further pursuit is impossible for any other reason, we give up. Got it?" Gon agreed with a nod.

Killua explained the rest of the plan. Crisei and Leorio were too inexperienced with Nen and so would stay behind as well, giving support. The signal for Gon and Killua was a phone call. If they split up, they followed the woman. Both Gon and Killua had tailed someone before, so that wasn't an issue.

Now to wait. The two had left, and Gon and Killua followed.

Why did I have a bad feeling about this?

_Gon... Killua... Good luck._

* * *

**Sorry this took a bit, but seriously, the next chapter I have zilch written, nearly zilch ideas. It'd be nice to get some input and ideas that I might be able to implement. Thanks! ^^**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. It'll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. Thank you all so much! You're the best~!**


	49. Chapter 49

**Another chapter! Sorry this took a while, writers block and trying to figure out things. Just warning you all, it's going to be slow here for a while because of writers block! Want to help? Review with ideas or vote on the poll on my profile!**

**Kri - I don't know. :P Well, now I do because I posted this chapter. But when you asked, when I wrote this here, I didn't know. And LOL, No, he was just angry that she wasn't trying to finish it. :P Nice one though.**

**RaNDoem - Second person to think Killua being overprotective with the milkshake! ****No, as I said before, he was just angry that she wasn't trying to finish it lol. And you're welcome. ^^**

**Sirenightsparrow - ^^ Thanks!**

**BizzyLizy - Of course, thank YOU! XD**

**KittyCatKate - I'm glad you like, thanks anyways! ^^**

**FlyWithMeToNeverland09 - Thank you! I'll try! ^^ Here's more!**

* * *

**"When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves." - Viktor E. Frankl**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Did they notice us?" Leorio asked._

_"It's okay. They haven't noticed us yet," Killua assured him. I nodded. They didn't seem like they were aiming it at us. Either they were 'testing the waters' or they were arguing with one another..._

_"Are you sure?" Leorio asked, still worried. "Besides, I can't use Zetsu like you guys to mask my presence." I paused at that. I couldn't use Zetsu either..._

_"If we used Zetsu, that would attract their attention. They aren't trying to sense Nen. They're trying to see if there's anyone in this area who looks or acts suspicious," Killua stated. "So, you'd better wipe those looks off your faces. Act normal." He sighed at the weird faces the others gave, glancing at me. I just looked plain concerned Killua._

_"You OK Basil? If you don't want to engage them then-"_

_"Oh no! I..." I trailed off, and the others looked at me weirdly. "I can't use Zestu..." I said it slowly._

_"Huh?!" I scratched the back of my head sheepishly and explained my situation. I explained my Nami, which Gon had witnessed during the second phase of the exam. Killua listened intently, thinking, planning, accepting my situation, even though it confused them._

_"I have a question," Gon asked once I finished, earning the rest of our attention. He waited a second, then continued. "Can you use Zetsu if your translation device is taken out?" I stared at him a moment, thinking. I probably could. I'd never considered it before._

_"Not at first," Killua responded for me. I glanced at him in surprise, which he dutifully returned with an equally shocked look. "What? I did some research... Just in case. You know, if it breaks again..." A smile tugged on my lips for a second, but I was more interested in what he'd learned. "Basically it's 'hardwired' to her in a sense. That's why it's so painful to take out and put back in. Do it enough times and it'll start glitching and eventually stop working. But for a while after it's taken out, its effects are still coursing through her body, even though the device is no longer working." Crisei, Leorio, and I understood, but Gon was steaming from the head. Killua sighed. "Think of it as a drug. You take the pill, and for a while it's stuck in your body and still effects you even though you're not eating it. Eventually it'll stop effecting you."_

_"Oh~" Gon understood._

_"Anyways, I thought up a plan," Killua said. "Gon and I will tail them. We absolutely cannot let them spot us. We'll use Zetsu." He paused, glancing at me. "Basil, you'll stay behind and track us. You know how to do that with your phone, right?" I nodded. "Good. Provide assistance from the outside, just in case." He turned back to Gon. "Gon, I need you two to make me two promises. If they see us, we give up immediately and escape. If I judge further pursuit is impossible for any other reason, we give up. Got it?" Gon agreed with a nod._

_Killua explained the rest of the plan. Crisei and Leorio were too inexperienced with Nen and so would stay behind as well, giving support. The signal for Gon and Killua was a phone call. If they split up, they followed the woman. Both Gon and Killua had tailed someone before, so that wasn't an issue._

_Now to wait. The two had left, and Gon and Killua followed._

_Why did I have a bad feeling about this?_

Gon... Killua... Good luck.

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I watched after them as they left, then turned to Crisei and Leorio as the two got out of sight.

"So..." Crisei was the first to break the silence. "Care to... Explain more about my so called situation?" I had told him a bit ago about what Kai-san had said.

"Situation?" Leorio asked. I'd forgotten the taller teen didn't know.

"Crisei knows Nen, but he doesn't know _Nen_," I said. Leorio rolled his eyes, leaning forward.

"That really helps, seriously." My face lit up in embarrassment.

"Er... He knows as much as you do, but has been applying it without knowing what exactly he was doing..." I slowed down my words so Leorio could comprehend them better.

"Oh. Well then..." Leorio seemed slightly confused.

"He knows now."

"Oh."

"I'm right here you know," Crisei said, slightly irritated. Leorio and I glanced at him.

"I know," I replied. "So are you wanting to learn more about it...? I mean, I'm not really a good teacher..." I glanced at Leorio.

"Don't look at me!" He said. "I know a lot less than you!" I sighed.

"Alright, so according to Kai-san he said you obviously knew Ten... And how to apply it. Next is Ren..." I was chewing on a stray lock that got near my mouth.

"It's fine." I looked up at Crisei. "If you're uncomfortable or nervous, it's fine. You don't have to teach me... I'll find it out eventually." I nodded.

"You sure?" He seemed adamant. "OK." I paused, thinking, then pulled out the phone, nervous as I stared at it.

"They'll be fine." I looked up at Leorio. Crisei nodded.

"They're strong." I smiled at their trust in the two boys. I trusted them too. I knew they could do it. But still...

"Yeah... I'm just nervous I guess..."

"Why not just look at the GPS tracker if you're that terrified?"

"I'm not terrified!" It was true. I just had a bad feeling. I wasn't terrified. I'd been terrified before, of other things, and it didn't feel like this. No, real terror... No one should feel that.

"Sure~"

"Leorio..." The said man glanced at Crisei. "She's serious."

"Hm?" He glanced back at me, but I was already staring down at the phone. GPS Tracker... Yes... If they made any irregular movements or there seemed a struggle... I could tell with this. Then maybe run after and help them.

But what if they didn't want me to follow? What if they didn't want me to come after them? What if they got in trouble, and me going to help only hindered their escape? Hm... But what if not...? I was starting to stress about it so I put my phone away and grabbed Killua's bag which he'd left behind. One thing was certain, while they were away I needed to sell the things I'd brought from my world.

"Hey, where you heading?" Crisei asked as he saw me stand, slinging the backpack over my shoulders.

"I have some things to sell," I replied. "I'm going to meet up with Zepile to go sell them."

"Oh, OK," Crisei replied.

"Tell him the three of us are going to chat later, alright?" Leorio asked with a grin. I smiled back and nodded, then took off to look for the appraiser.

I found him staring at some items in a booth, phone to ear as he was giving me, who was on the other side, directions. He turned and we exited the call as he grinned and walked over.

"So let's find a better place to look through these things, alright?" I nodded, then followed him, keeping an eye out for anything that might be suspicious or threatening. When we got to a good spot we sat down across for each other. I shifted the bag off and in front of me, starting to pull things out one by one.

"I don't know how much it's worth... I just grabbed what I could. It's probably total crap." I handed him the first item I pulled out and he stared at it with wide eyes.

"At first look it looks like nothing special..." He pressed the small red button on the green and white package.

**-It's not called falling it's called flying with style!-** He chuckled at the animated astronaut action figure spoke.

"It's in mint condition too... Brand new." I wanted to chuckle as he said that. It was old and somehow damaged so the company had thrown it out. "I've never seen anything like this. Must be worth a fortune! I don't even know what materials were used to make this..." I inwardly smiled. It was because it wasn't made in this world, and wasn't made with materials from this world. "Are the other things like this?" I nodded. "They aren't crap. This thing itself is probably worth a couple hundred million jenny. Even the writing... I don't recognize the characters. It would take a long time to decipher." I stared at him with wide eyes as he said the price.

"A-are you serious...?"

"Yeah. Where did you get something like this?" I paused a second at his question, thinking, then smiled as I answered.

"Another world."

* * *

In the end I had 5 billion jenny with the items that'd cost not even 100 dollars in my world. We already had, with the money from Gon and Killua, all we needed for the game. Though others would pay more... We needed at least ten billion. We'd get there.

My thoughts of Gon and Killua brought my gaze to my phone as I waited for the man across the counter to count out the money he was giving me for the items. Zepile stood behind me watching. I stared at the dots on the screen which represented the two. They were still together, that was good. It'd been a while... Though I didn't recognize the area they were in. How far had they gone?

"What's up?" I glanced back at Zepile.

"Just checking on Gon and Kil..."

"Oh," was his simple reply. I looked up at the characters on the man's desk in front of me. My understanding of the written language of this world was expanding. I could read the man's name was Wakata. I was proud of this accomplishment. It wasn't too hard to learn, however after learning to read I had to then translate it to my language. I could understand names and the reoccurring words like restroom, no, yes, food... Things like that. However I still struggled with reading more than that. And with Kai-san gone and the translator in effect there was no way for it to be easy to learn. Maybe Crisei could help. Yes, I'd talk to him later, it'd pass the time till Gon and Kil came back.

The man named Wakata handed me the money after a while and Zepile and I left, grins on our faces.

"My cut?" Zepile asked. I sighed.

"10%, right?"

"15."

"Mmm... That's..." It only took me a second to do the math. "48 million, 758 thousand, 3 hundred fif-"

"Ah, no, 48.5 mil is fine," Zepile said, cutting me off.

"Ah, OK." I counted out the 48.5 million jenny and handed it to him.

* * *

**Alright, took me a LOT longer than I would have liked. ^^; But at least I finished it! Thank you everyone for the ideas! Next chapter is also filler for the most part... So it'll take a bit as well.**

**Oh, did anyone not notice last chapter Crisei said he had a brother? :[**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. It'll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. Thank you all so much! You're the best~!**


	50. Chapter 50

**Another chapter! Sorry this also took a while, still trying to figure out things. But I'll be back on track soon. :P Want to help? Review with ideas or vote on the poll on my profile! It's still up!**

**Two quotes this time, since they're small and basically the same. ^^**

**BizzyLizy - He knows they need the money and plus, it's easier to give him 48.5 instead of 49. :P**

**NarutardNStuff - Yeah, sorry it took so long! ^^; Don't worry, it's just filler right now. You should see more familiar things soon.**

**RaNDoem - ^^ It's practice. She's smart. Like Kurapika. And the moment was supposed to be symbolic. Like shes worthless in her world but this new one views her as priceless. ^^ But you're welcome, thank YOU! XD**

**Zeladious - I'm glad someone noticed it was buzz! XD I was actually going for** **若 (****_waka_) "young" and 田 (_ta_) "rice paddy" (Actually I just thought it up on the spot without looking up it's meaning or anything until now shhh don't tell anyone! XP)**

* * *

**"Things do not change; we change." - Henry David Thoreau**

**"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_In the end I had 5 billion jenny with the items that'd cost not even 100 dollars in my world. We already had, with the money from Gon and Killua, all we needed for the game. Though others would pay more... We needed at least ten billion. We'd get there._

_My thoughts of Gon and Killua brought my gaze to my phone as I waited for the man across the counter to count out the money he was giving me for the items. Zepile stood behind me watching. I stared at the dots on the screen which represented the two. They were still together, that was good. It'd been a while... Though I didn't recognize the area they were in. How far had they gone?_

_"What's up?" I glanced back at Zepile._

_"Just checking on Gon and Kil..."_

_"Oh," was his simple reply. I looked up at the characters on the man's desk in front of me. My understanding of the written language of this world was expanding. I could read the man's name was Wakata. I was proud of this accomplishment. It wasn't too hard to learn, however after learning to read I had to then translate it to my language. I could understand names and the reoccurring words like restroom, no, yes, food... Things like that. However I still struggled with reading more than that. And with Kai-san gone and the translator in effect there was no way for it to be easy to learn. Maybe Crisei could help. Yes, I'd talk to him later, it'd pass the time till Gon and Kil came back._

_The man named Wakata handed me the money after a while and Zepile and I left, grins on our faces._

_"My cut?" Zepile asked. I sighed._

_"10%, right?"_

_"15."_

_"Mmm... That's..." It only took me a second to do the math. "48 million, 758 thousand, 3 hundred fif-"_

_"Ah, no, 48.5 mil is fine," Zepile said, cutting me off._

_"Ah, OK." I counted out the 48.5 million jenny and handed it to him._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Hey, Crisei~?" The redhead looked up on curiosity.

"Yes?"

"Can you uh..." I shuffled my feet, looking away from him. "Help teach me to read?"

"You can't- Oh, yeah, sure," he replied, slightly surprised at first then remembering the deal with the translation device. "What do you need? Like, all of it? I'm not that good of a teacher..." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I know the basics... It just takes a while for me to translate," I replied, sitting down.

"Ah, so you can read, you just don't understand."

"Much," I corrected. "I recognize reoccurring common words and phrases, but... Like I don't understand sentence structure and which words mean what..."

"Ooh~ What's this I hear?" I glanced over to see Leorio walking over, grin on his face. "Need help learning to read?"

"Er... Yeah," I replied nervously.

"Eh, there's no need to be ashamed about it," Leorio replied, waving his hand at me. "I can help too if you need."

"Ah, thank you."

"Yeah, don't mention it." I smiled.

"So... Let's see..." Crisei started, getting out some paper and a pencil.

The three of us worked on the language for a while. By the end I'd actually learned a lot. I figured with practice I could read it with ease, though I still struggled with sentence structure a bit and remembering more complex words, I'd learn fast. Maybe even I'd be able to lose the translation devise which cause me so much discomfort and got in the way so much.

And then I remembered Gon and Killua. It was already dark out, and they weren't back. I quickly looked at the phone. They were headed our way. Or at least... Their phones were. Apparently the worry was apparent on my face because the two older men patted me, assuring me the two would be fine.

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yeah," Crisei replied.

"The two are strong. I'm sure they're almost here," Leorio added. "Speaking of which... Zepile should be-" There was a knock. "Ah." Leorio went and opened the door. I heard laughing and clinking... And the two came back with cases and cases of beer.

Damn drinks. I swear... If it wasn't for Kai-san I'd think they were evil...

"Crisei! You should join us!" Leorio said happily.

"Sure!" Crisei replied, happily taking a bottle.

Damn men and their drinks... I swear...

* * *

It didn't take long for the three to get drunk off their asses, tumbling around on the floor like some lovesick puppies. "Come on Basil, join us!"

"Yeah, celebrate the money you got!"

"No thanks," I replied, face a clear look of disappointment. Yes, I was disappointed in them.

"Ah, come on, have fun!" They laughed and tumbled some more in their drunkenness. However I just tried to ignore them, watching the door. _Come on... Gon... Killua... Hurry up, I can't- _I blinked and looked to my hands where a bottle was suddenly placed, then looked up in surprise as Crisei pulled me into a hug. "You're so cute Basil~ Come on, have some fun with us~"

"I, uh..." My face was red, and I felt uncomfortable with how close he was, how he was holding me...

"Yo! We're back!"

"Ah Killua! Save me!" I managed out as I glanced over to the door with a panicked expression where Killua and Gon walked in. Killua's eyes widened slightly as he saw the scene.

"Crisei..." His eyes darkened. "Get off of her." Crisei slowly complied to the demand, pout on his face.

"Ah, we're just having fun~"

"Seriously, they were drinking while we were captured?" Killua mumbled to Gon, now standing above me protectively with a slightly upset look on his face. He glanced at me, then to my hands with a confused look. I looked down and saw I still had the bottle in my hands and quickly shoved it back in Crisei's grasp with a hmph, then crossed my arms.

"Oh, you're back?" Leorio asked, looking up with a laugh. "Come drink with us!"

"Are you that drunk that you can't notice we're underage?" Killua asked, glancing at me. "Basil too. Why'd you let them drag you into this?"

"Eh, I had to make sure they didn't get in trouble," I replied, scratching the back of my head sheepishly. "Guys and their alcohol. My father has the same problem..." Killua's eyes widened slightly as he watched me, remembering... I was from another world...

"Kai-san?" Gon asked, thinking about my adoptive father, the captain.

"Yeah. At least he's not like..." I didn't have to finish my sentence. Killua spoke up, knowing I was getting uncomfortable about to talk about my real parents. I hated talking about my world...

"Who's Kai-san?" He asked.

"He was the captain of the ship that brought up to the exam," Gon replied for me.

"He's my adoptive father," I finished.

"Oh. OK then." Killua paused, glancing at Leorio. "Wait, Leorio. Aren't you underage too?"

"What's your point?" Leorio said with a face, eyeing the three of us. "In my country, you can drink once you're sixteen."

"In my country you can't drink till you're 21, but kids still do it," I said with a shrug. The group eyed me, and I blinked at them. "What...?"

"Nothing," Zepile said, letting out a puff of smoke. I immediately confiscated his cigarettes, much to his displeasure. Killua and Gon just chuckled at the scene as I scolded him, and finally getting fed up with how they were acting, confiscating the beer too. The three men were displeased to say in the least... But I didn't care. If my tongue didn't hold I would be ranting to them about how my father got even more abusive with the effects of alcohol, how other people who drank around me got even more... Upsetting. Indecent. But no. I was still too afraid to talk. To speak my mind.

"Um..." I looked over at Gon, who was now sitting. "Killua and I have some news."

"Oh? What?" I asked curiously. "And that reminds me, what happened? I was worried..."

"They caught us," Killua replied. This brought everyone's attention.

"But we're OK!" Gon said quickly. "We got away!"

"I can see that," I replied, sitting down to listen. "So... How?"

"We're getting to that," Killua replied with a slightly annoyed look. "We were trailing after them for a while and eventually they caught us and brought us to their hideout."

"They wanted us to join," Gon said. "But we refused so they tied us up." He flashed a grin at Zepile who looked back at him in slight confusion. "Thanks a lot though Zepile!"

"Huh?"

"We used the techniques you taught us to escape," Killua explained to him.

"Oh, how so?" I asked, curious of how techniques for metal and wood objects could help people escape.

"We'll explain later," Killua replied to me. I pouted, wanting to hear the story, as the curiosity made my mind race with ideas. "But anyways, we called Kurapika on our way back... Actually got ahold of him this time."

"Really?" I asked excitingly. They finally got ahold of him! "Where is he? Is he OK? Is he in the city?"

"Hey, hey! Calm it!" Killua said, tugging on my ponytail, causing a yelp of alarm from my lips. He paused, then quickly let go. The looks on everyone's faces showed pity. I was starting to get fed up with it... The reminder of my abusive parents always made everyone uncomfortable. I wish they wouldn't- that look of pity, it was getting demoralizing.

"Fine..." I mumbled, hanging my head in slight shame. "So what'd he say?" There was silence for a moment before Gon replied.

"He said he's doing fine, he's working really well at his job. He asked how you were too," Gon explained to me. "He also said that what we did was dangerous..." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly with a grin.

"Of course it was," I said, cheeks puffed up in worry. "I'm glad you're alright." I paused. "What did you say?"

"Huh?"

"About me?"

"Oh, you stayed back since you couldn't use Zetsu," Killua replied. "Because of the translation device."

"He wanted to meet up tomorrow!" Gon said excitingly, interrupting the two of us. This brought a grin to my face. Yes! I'll finally get to see my adopted brother tomorrow! "And he said-" Gon was cut off from his next thought by his phone ringing. He answered it and put it to his ear for a moment, face in a slight surprised but happy expression, talking back to the person on the other end for a moment. I mouthed 'Kurapika' and when Gon nodded with a smile I grinned back. When Gon lowered the phone and hung up he was grinning from ear to ear.

"He said the phantom troupe has been taken care of!" Gon said excitingly. My eyes widened in surprise. How did... They seemed too strong...

That foreboding feeling came back. Why did it make me not want to believe him? It was like... This was too easy... But this was life. It wasn't some book or movie. It was entirely possible. But still...

"How'd that happen?" Gon shrugged his reply.

"I don't know, but... We're meeting him at the park tomorrow!"

* * *

**Alright, finally finished! Keep your fingers crossed for next events! Kurapika will be back next chapter! XD**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. It'll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. Thank you all so much! You're the best~!**


	51. Chapter 51

**Alright, this chapter was pretty fast. ^^ Though I had it already written basically when I finished the previous one... :P**

**I want to say something before I get to the chapter, I really appreciate all the support and comments I've gotten to this story! I always get super excited when I see new followers or a new review, and it really makes me feel like you all love my story. If you ever have any complaint, request, or anything, just tell me!**

* * *

**"Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever." - Keri Russell**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Um..." I looked over at Gon, who was now sitting. "Killua and I have some news."_

_"Oh? What?" I asked curiously. "And that reminds me, what happened? I was worried..."_

_"They caught us," Killua replied. This brought everyone's attention._

_"But we're OK!" Gon said quickly. "We got away!"_

_"I can see that," I replied, sitting down to listen. "So... How?"_

_"We're getting to that," Killua replied with a slightly annoyed look. "We were trailing after them for a while and eventually they caught us and brought us to their hideout."_

_"They wanted us to join," Gon said. "But we refused so they tied us up." He flashed a grin at Zepile who looked back at him in slight confusion. "Thanks a lot though Zepile!"_

_"Huh?"_

_"We used the techniques you taught us to escape," Killua explained to him._

_"Oh, how so?" I asked, curious of how techniques for metal and wood objects could help people escape._

_"We'll explain later," Killua replied to me. I pouted, wanting to hear the story, as the curiosity made my mind race with ideas. "But anyways, we called Kurapika on our way back... Actually got ahold of him this time."_

_"Really?" I asked excitingly. They finally got ahold of him! "Where is he? Is he OK? Is he in the city?"_

_"Hey, hey! Calm it!" Killua said, tugging on my ponytail, causing a yelp of alarm from my lips. He paused, then quickly let go. The looks on everyone's faces showed pity. I was starting to get fed up with it... The reminder of my abusive parents always made everyone uncomfortable. I wish they wouldn't- that look of pity, it was getting demoralizing._

_"Fine..." I mumbled, hanging my head in slight shame. "So what'd he say?" There was silence for a moment before Gon replied._

_"He said he's doing fine, he's working really well at his job. He asked how you were too," Gon explained to me. "He also said that what we did was dangerous..." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly with a grin._

_"Of course it was," I said, cheeks puffed up in worry. "I'm glad you're alright." I paused. "What did you say?"_

_"Huh?"_

_"About me?"_

_"Oh, you stayed back since you couldn't use Zetsu," Killua replied. "Because of the translation device."_

_"He wanted to meet up tomorrow!" Gon said excitingly, interrupting the two of us. This brought a grin to my face. Yes! I'll finally get to see my adopted brother tomorrow! "And he said-" Gon was cut off from his next thought by his phone ringing. He answered it and put it to his ear for a moment, face in a slight surprised but happy expression, talking back to the person on the other end for a moment. I mouthed 'Kurapika' and when Gon nodded with a smile I grinned back. When Gon lowered the phone and hung up he was grinning from ear to ear._

_"He said the phantom troupe has been taken care of!" Gon said excitingly. My eyes widened in surprise. How did... They seemed too strong..._

_That foreboding feeling came back. Why did it make me not want to believe him? It was like... This was too easy... But this was life. It wasn't some book or movie. It was entirely possible. But still..._

_"How'd that happen?" Gon shrugged his reply._

_"I don't know, but... We're meeting him at the park tomorrow!"_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

My head hurt. A lot. This throbbing... It sucked. I glanced around, nose crinkling in disgust. My world... What a mess it was. Unnatural lights everywhere, people tainting the air with their habits and wants, the earth crying out beneath my feet... But I had to deal. This was my dream world now. Yes, my nightmare. Whenever I slept, this was where I ended up.

Time. It was my greatest ally and my greatest enemy.

I waved my hand in front of my face in disgust as I passed by a group of bikers with cigarettes in their mouths puffing out smoke and laughing. Man I hated this world. The world I was born in. The world I was supposed to be in. I really hated it. I sighed and leaned against a pole. Though... Admittedly the two worlds were still very similar. There were only minor differences between the two, and... Well those minor changes made the difference.

But yes. Even though my home world was now my dream world I had to remember it was still real. Every bruise or ache I got here stayed with me, and I was sure if I happened to die it would be the same.

And since this was my original world if I died here then... I died in the other world as well. That's what I figured. There was no way to know for sure but... That was the only thing that made sense. I sighed, pulling my coat closer to my body as I continued down the street, avoiding the alleys which in this part of town at this time were not friendly to me.

"Mah, this city sucks..."

"I agree~" The voices words brought my defensive gaze over to a small male standing by the side of the street. I was ready to take off but the boy made no movement. "So defensive~ You different. You special." His words made me pause. "I be watching you girly, my name's Derek." My vision filled with images of the gang I had killed and my body got defensive again, head lowering as I started walking off again. "You leave? OK. Whatever." I sighed as I continued walking off, but the boy's words brought shivers to my back. Did he know? Had he been watching me ever since I got to town? Or was he just playing me, trying to get a reaction?

I heard footsteps and dodged into an alleyway. I glanced out to see a tall man stumble past the entrance, so drunk he could barely keep his footing. A small song slurred off his tongue and I sighed, standing, muscles relaxing.

"You fast too girly." I flinched and flung around to see the boy behind me, not facing me, opening the lid of a dumpster and looking in to dig around for something. "Derek wants to know your magic tricks too."

"Magic tricks?" Did he mean Nen?

"Yeah! You made those toys disappear, and you clothes keep mending. You never eat too." He turned, pointing at me with a bread stick he'd fished out. "Show! Show!" So he meant my travel between worlds...

"Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Lie! Derek know. Tell!"

"You're creepy. Please go away." The teenager paused, staring at me with a grin. A long dreadlock fell in his face.

"This my home. You go away." He motioned to the mouth of the alleyway. He was right, I could leave whenever.

"Whatever." I started out.

"I be watching you girly! You special. I like you. You help Derek."

I just shook my head, not looking back, continuing on. I could feel his eyes continue trailing after me as I continue down the streets. It made me nervous... I was hesitant to attempt to go back. What would I do? What if he attacked me in my sleep? What if-

Eventually the time came though and I had to get back. We were supposed to meet with Kurapika in town. It was starting to get light here. 5:20. It was already eight in the Nen world. I needed to make breakfast... Eventually I found a cozy place and hunkered down, keeping an eye out for any movement.

None came and I relaxed, covering myself with a blanket in protection and falling asleep.

* * *

"Oh yeah! We're seeing Kurapika today at 12!" Gon exclaimed, placing a fist in his hand. I was finished long ago with breakfast's dishes and had just finished packing new food and leftovers for lunch.

"Gon," Killua called, pointing at the clock. "It's 11:37."

"Eh!?"

This caused panic and the two started rushing around, grabbing things. They even went to rush me however I was already ready, so I just chuckled as they pushed me out the door. I glanced at my hand. I'd been practicing all morning, my Nen that was. I had nearly perfected my barriers, so now I could form them into any simple shape I wanted. If I used In with them they'd be invisible. It was fun making barriers around the hotel room for practice on people. They didn't know what hit them.

In fact, I don't even think they knew how I used my Nen at all. I'd been keeping my abilities secret from them. They knew I knew Nen, but only as much as they did. I guessed that was both a good and a bad thing.

I followed after the two who rushed ahead to the park, occasionally speeding up. I caught sight of orange hair and glanced over but the person disappeared. I looked back down at the food, making sure the food was OK, then looked back up to make sure the two boys in front of me were still there.

"Hey, Basil, wait up!" I glanced back to see the orange-haired Crisei running after me.

"Oh, there you are! I thought you were over there," I jutted my thumb in the other direction, glancing over, but there was only strangers. My face fell. It wasn't Gayle, was it? I hoped not. I looked for the blonde girl as well and didn't see her. My body relaxed.

"What? No, I just started after you," he replied. He caught up to me and the two of us continued after the two boys ahead.

"Where's Leorio?"

"He went off with Zepile. I decided to trail after you kids. Might as well."

"Slowpokes!"

"Come on, were're going to be late meeting Kurapika!"

"Ah, yeah!" I said, glancing at the clock. My pace quickened, including the paces of the two beside me on either side. "We're hurrying!"

When we got to the park I quickly started setting up the food. Killua and Gon tried to take some but I made sure to keep them away, with a little help from my Nen. When I finally got everything up I smiled at it, taking a mental picture. I knew it wouldn't last long. The two would immediately start making a mess.

I smiled nonetheless.

Sensing my completion the two descended on the food, shoving as much as they could into their faces immediately, sparing nothing.

"Thanks Basil!" Gon exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's really good!" Killua said as well. I sat with a smile.

"Thank you, but really, I just threw stuff together..."

"Eh, you're a natural," Killua said, waving his hand which had a quarter sandwich in it. I just smiled my reply. Killua stared at me a moment before I stared back with a small frown. "Aren't you going to eat too?"

"Oh, I'm good. I'll eat later."

"No."

"What?" I was slightly surprised by his sudden remark.

"No." I stared at him a moment before he shoved the sandwich in his hand in my face. "Eat it."

"I'm good but thank-"

"Gah!" Killua tackled me, and a surprised noise came out of my mouth as he shoved the sandwich in my mouth. The two of us wressled for a bit before Gon broke us up. But by then I'd swallowed the food and we were laughing.

"Fine, fine, I'll eat!" I chuckled as I joined him and Gon. Leorio took some as well. I glanced around for Crisei and didn't see him. I frowned._ I wonder where he went..._

"Kurapika!" Gon exclaimed. I looked back forward at the two to see an annoyed Killua with food on his face and a happy Gon looking past Killua. I looked immediately where he was looking and saw the familiar blonde Kurta, albeit older looking, standing there frowning. The two of us bolted over to him, me embracing him in a hug and Gon stopping short of him with a happy look on his face. My hug must have surprised my adoptive brother, but he hugged me back a bit. I smiled at him, but I knew something was wrong. However I knew from personal experience that asking wasn't always the best thing to do. He'd speak when he was ready.

"This is great!" Gon exclaimed.

"Huh?" Kurapika's eyes widened in surprise.

"The spiders are dead, so you can finally focus on your main goal." Main goal? I thought... My mind buzzed around in thought, and I glanced back at Kurapika, letting go of him. He placed a hand on my head, half-heartedly ruffling my hair, earning a pout form me. The eyes? "You have to find the eyes of your people." Bingo.

"Gon..." Kurapika started.

"Yup. If there's anything we can do to help-" Gon was cut off by a pie being smacked into his face. I chuckled, even though it was one of the pies I'd made. I'd seen it coming from a mile away. I mean, there wasn't much we could do about it anyways.

The pie to the face started a food fight, which I managed to stay out of. I was a little upset at them wasting the food like that. Actually, little was an understatement.

"Hey! You did it first! I was getting revenge!" Killua yelled.

"But I didn't do it on purpose. You did it deliberately!" Gon yelled back. I scowled. Gon was right, and now the good food was getting everywhere! If there was one thing that annoyed me...

I glanced over at Kurapika and saw a small smile tugging at his lips. That caused my scowl to disappear completely, replaced with a small smile of my own. Killua jumped over Gon and smashed another pie in his face and both Kurapika and I started laughing

"It's good to have you back Kura-nii-san," I said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I missed your antics, he replied ruffling my hair once again.

"Hey!" I frowned at him, fixing my hair again before turning with a glance hearing Crisei's voice. I grinned, waving my hand and calling his name. "Crisei! Kurapika's back!" Crisei, as well as the man walking with him, looked in my direction, and my face fell. I took a step back.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I flinched, then looked over to see Killua standing next to me with a frown. I took another step back and behind the silverette. Kurapika looked at us in confusion.

"What..."

"Gayle. It's a man named Gayle," Killua replied to Kurapika's unvoiced question. That explanation seemed to be all that was needed for Kurapika to understand the situation. Crisei apparently didn't get the hint and he walked over to the four of us, grin on his face, the other ginger trailing behind. As I stared at them they really looked the same... Identical almost...

"Hey guys! Look who I found! Remember how I was telling you about my brother Trance? Guys, this is him. Trance, meet Gon, Killua, Basil, and Kurapika."

"Not a very warm welcome," Gayle, Trance, whoever he was said with a small chuckle. My posture relaxed instantly. His voice was clearly different. His tone, his posture, everything was different. But he was clearly the same guy... My brain started racing with possibilities. Killua seemed to visibly relax too.

"Sorry, we thought you were a man named Gayle," Killua said holding his hand out.

"Gayle? Never heard of him." Trance held out his hand to shake Killua's without hesitation. Yup, this was definitely not Gayle. But... Why did he look so much like him?

"You wouldn't happen to have another brother would you?"

"Nope, it's just me and my younger brother!" Crisei said, flinging his arm around his brother's neck.

"Younger? I cried first! I demand reconsideration!" Trance replied with a laugh. I smiled at the two. They hadn't seen each other for years yet here they were... But the fact Trance and Gayle still looked like one another bothered me. Was there a possible way to use Nen to control someone's body, become a host? Imitate them? _I think it's possible..._

"So I'm going to hang with Trance for a while. Call me if you need me!" Crisei said as the two of them started off. I waved.

"They still looked the same," Killua said. I nodded.

"And it wasn't a resemblance either."

"Gayle and Trance..." Killua needed say no more. I nodded.

"Hey, I'm going to call Leorio," Kurapika said, getting Gon, Killua, and my attention. "We can go to the hotel." I grinned.

"Yeah!"

* * *

**Life... It's obnoxious. I'm trying to get this done! But don't worry! I will finish this fanfic! ^^ As well as a planned sequel~ I'm sorry it's so long. :P It happens. And I know you expected more of Kurapika in this chapter, however I haven't had any stories or happenings in Basil's world recently so I had to add it. ^^ Plus I rushed it and took out the bit of Kurapika at the end, but it'll be in next chapter! I promise next chapter will be all about him!**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. The poll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. I really appreciate all the votes I've gotten so far and it's really a relief, however I still need more votes to determine which one I'll choose! Thanks!**


	52. Chapter 52

**Sorry for the short chapter before, I hope I made up for it with the double update... Anyways, here's another chapter! And this one is longer, I hope you like it. Thanks so much for reading!**

**havanatitiana - Yeah, I'm sorry about that, but here, I hope I made up for it with the double update and this long chapter! And yes, Killua is starting to get REALLY protective of her. It'll really show later. XD**

**BizzyLizy - I don't have to do exams, thank god, but still, graduation practice... And after I graduate I'll be working full time so I won't have time for fanfics and art... T^T But I'll try! And thanks, I'll correct that. ^^ You're welcome!**

**Zeladious - Lol, ^^; You know the Japanese, always weird names. :P I just chose something random. :P Ah, thanks for the correction. ^^**

**iiWolvesofRuin - I'm trying! I'm trying! T^T I'm just so busy... But here's an extra long chapter for you. ^^ But thank you.**

**Crescentclaw - XD Good. Hope you enjoy this chapter too!**

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**"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of." - Jim Rohn**

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_Re-cap:_

_"Hey guys! Look who I found! Remember how I was telling you about my brother Trance? Guys, this is him. Trance, meet Gon, Killua, Basil, and Kurapika."_

_"Not a very warm welcome," Gayle, Trance, whoever he was said with a small chuckle. My posture relaxed instantly. His voice was clearly different. His tone, his posture, everything was different. But he was clearly the same guy... My brain started racing with possibilities. Killua seemed to visibly relax too._

_"Sorry, we thought you were a man named Gayle," Killua said holding his hand out._

_"Gayle? Never heard of him." Trance held out his hand to shake Killua's without hesitation. Yup, this was definitely not Gayle. But... Why did he look so much like him?_

_"You wouldn't happen to have another brother would you?"_

_"Nope, it's just me and my younger brother!" Crisei said, flinging his arm around his brother's neck._

_"Younger? I cried first! I demand reconsideration!" Trance replied with a laugh. I smiled at the two. They hadn't seen each other for years yet here they were... But the fact Trance and Gayle still looked like one another bothered me. Was there a possible way to use Nen to control someone's body, become a host? Imitate them? _I think it's possible...

_"So I'm going to hang with Trance for a while. Call me if you need me!" Crisei said as the two of them started off. I waved._

_"They still looked the same," Killua said. I nodded._

_"And it wasn't a resemblance either."_

_"Gayle and Trance..." Killua needed say no more. I nodded._

_"Hey, I'm going to call Leorio," Kurapika said, getting Gon, Killua, and my attention. "We can go to the hotel." I grinned._

_"Yeah!"_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

It wasn't long before our group arrived at the hotel. My mind was still swirling with thoughts. Gayle and Trance were definitely the same people, even though their attitude and personality were different. Split personality perhaps? And where was that girl? I'm sure if she showed up, having warned Crisei about them, he'd call... But then again Trance was his brother...

"It's been a while since we were all together!" Gon exclaimed happily, drawing my thoughts.

"Where's Zepile-san?" Killua asked. His and my gazes met and I could see in his eyes he could tell what I was thinking.

"He wanted to validate our check and find more hidden gems to sell," Leorio replied as we reached the elevator. He glanced at Kurapika. "Anyway..."

"What?" Kurapika said.

"You've got this intensity about you... You seem a little more intimidating now," Leorio replied. I nodded.

"Yeah Nii-san." I'd noticed it too. It wasn't only his looks that'd changed. I blushed noticing him looking at me and cast my gaze elsewhere.

"Really? You don't seem to have changed much," Kurapika replied to Leorio.

"And you're more annoying too!" Leorio said slightly offended. I chuckled.

"But Basil, you have definitely changed."

"Huh?" I looked back at Kurapika.

"The way you speak and stand, you're a lot more confident," he clarified. I smiled. "You're a lot less scared of everyone." My gaze hesitated, looking down for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess... It's all thanks to you all."

The elevator dinged and I looked away from the others and to the opening doors. Our group got in, though it was a little crowded, I didn't mind much. Or rather, I wouldn't have if Killua hadn't managed to squeeze himself between me and my brother. I wanted to hear all about his adventures thus far...

"Oh, I heard you defeated a member of the troupe," Killua said, glancing over at Kurapika with a look. "Having only just learned Nen, how did you manage that?"

"If you're looking for advice on catching the spiders, then stop." Kurapika replied, only glancing down at him.

"That's not the only reason," Gon put in. "We want to master Nen. Because we'll definitely need Nen in the future."

"Then you don't want my advice. It won't do you any good." Kurapika replied, still frowning.

"Why not?" Gon asked curiously. I too was curious, but stayed quiet and listened.

"My power can only be used against the troupe." Kurapika replied. My mind started swirling with Nen information and how that was possible. My eyes widened. Don't tell me he-

"Huh?" The boys said, confused.

"Nii-san..." I watched him as he looked at me. As our eyes met my suspicions were confirmed. He'd made his Nen stronger by making a rule that he could only use it on Phantom Troupe members. I sighed, shaking my head slightly.

"What about you Basil?" Kurapika asked, still looking at me, drawing my attention back to him and the other's to me. "You knew Nen before any of us, I'm sure you can give them tips." I shook my head.

"Unfortunately I'm a special case..."

"Special case?" Gon and Killua repeated.

Before long the five of us were in the hotel room, sitting on chairs and facing each other. I'd explained about my Nami and how I couldn't do Zetsu because of it, and the translation device which inhibited me. I also explained about my world travelling ability and how that seemed to not be effected too much by Nen, but unlike the others I was a specialist and was training my abilities to protect me where my faults were. The only advice I could give them was to try and develop a Hatsu technique. Afterwords I let Kurapika speak and explain his situation.

"Restraint and vow?" Gon asked after the explanation. Yup, I was definitely right. The problem was the rule... What was it? How did it impact him? Would us knowing it be detrimental to him?

"Yeah. Nen is strongly affected by your mental state," Kurapika continued to explain. I nodded, already knowing this. "The stronger your resolve, the more power you receive. However, you also incur a big risk at the same time. In return for Nen power, I vowed to use it against the spiders alone. I established a rule for myself."

"What's the rule?" Leorio asked.

"If I use my chains on anyone who isn't a spider, I forfeit my life." Kurapika finished. I balked, everything filling into place, but I bit my tongue back and held my body still. That idiot!

"Huh? What do you mean?" Leorio asked with slight worry and suspicion.

"There is a Nen blade pointed at my heart. If I break the rule, that blade will pierce my heat, killing me. This is the rule that shows my resolve," Kurapika further explained. "Restraint and vow. My power is the product of pure hatred. It only works on spiders. I'm telling you because I trust you. Don't tell anyone else."

"Why… Why did you tell us something so important(Why would you do something so stupid)!?" Killua and I yelled at the same time, glancing at one another as we now stood.

"I'm not sure. With their leader's death, I must have relaxed." Kurapika explained, calm as ever.

"It'll be fine if we keep our mouths shut." Leorio further said.

"It's too dangerous. One of the surviving members can read minds," Killua explained. I glanced at him in worry. "If they find out, Kurapika won't be able to beat them!"

"But she didn't learn anything last time." Gon questioned.

"That's because we didn't know Kurapika was the chain-user." Killua explained.

"Then we just have to stay away from them," Leorio said. "They've already checked you so they think you're clean."

"So?" I said. "If they checked them then all it means is they know they're out there and they can catch them. They could try to go after them again. And what if they see me and decide to check me?"

"Yeah, that," Killua said. "But there's also a guy named Nobunaga. He's especially dangerous. He's looking for Kurapika, and he's still trying to chase us down."

"Is he aware that you guys know Kurapika?" Leorio asked.

"No…" Killua said.

"Then it's okay! As long as no one around the mind reader knows Kurapika, then you're safe." Leorio said. I shook my head.

"Leorio, you don't understand. If he sees me he might check me. Or even you."

"Then just make sure not to be around Killua or Gon," Leorio said.

"Well, I've also been in contact with Hisoka." Kurapika said.

"What?"

"Hisoka?"

"He knows that I am the chain user. We made a pact, but his target, the leader of the spiders, is now dead. So I don't know what he'll do." Kurapika explained. My mind immediately started to go to work, thinking of possibilities and what'd happen.

"What do we do?" Killua interjected, pausing my thoughts as I listened to him. "Now that we know Kurapika's secret, it's dangerous to wait around. If Nobunaga captures me or Gon again, we probably won't be able to escape, and with Basil here that risk increases. But we have Kurapika with us now, and Basil has her barriers. We should take them out before they have a chance to recover and escape. We know where their current base is. If we take too long, they might get away. We need to move fast. They could be making an escape as we speak. We don't have time for too much thought."

"I don't think my barriers are strong enough to withstand attacks from them," I said, explaining. "My barriers reflect my will and strength. If I'm physically weaker than my opponent, my barriers won't do much..."

"And the woman you mentioned is certainly a threat…" Kurapika continued. "But since their leader is dead, I'll do as Gon says, and focus on recovering my brethren's eyes."

"Seriously?" Killua said. I frowned, as my brain was still working and thinking.

"Yeah." Kurapika replied with a nod.

"You're sure about this?" Killua continued to ask.

"Kurapika made up his mind. We can't force him to change it." Leorio said.

"Sorry, Killua. Thank you for the valuable information." Kurapika said, nodding with a slight smile. I frowned. Killua sure seemed upset and uncomfortable in his situation...

"Kurapika..." The Kurta looked at me. "You're mainly focused on the leader being dead. What would you do if their leader actually wasn't dead, or a new one quickly stepped up in their place?" Kurapika paused at that, thinking, eyes widening in thought. "Also, they're strong. What if the Mafia decided not to hunt them anymore in fear of losing too much men? Or if the remaining members continued to go after you?"

"That would be-" Kurapika paused as a ding from his phone, signalling he got a text, sounded. He opened his phone to check his text. "Then that'd be a different story..." He paused again. "It's from Hisoka..."

"Kurapika...?" Gon asked, worried of the angry look on the blonde's face.

"The dead bodies were fakes…" Kurapika said, phone shaking in his hand in anger. My eyes widened. I knew it! I knew it couldn't be that easy! Didn't Killua say his family even couldn't handle them? There was no way they'd have gone down so easily!

"Huh? You mean the dead bodies of the Troupe members?" Leorio asked, shocked, glancing at me."

"Yeah, the dead spiders were fakes! It would be possible for a Conjurer to accomplish that. Dang! Why didn't I realize this sooner?" Kurapika yelled angrily.

"I knew it wouldn't be that easy," I mumbled. Killua glanced at me.

"The situation's changed. What now? We're here to help," he said.

"Uh huh." Gon agreed.

"Yeah." Leorio also chimed in. I nodded as well. Kurapika thought a second before a phone call sounded and he put the phone to his ear.

"Hello- Melody? What is it?" I could only hear half the conversation but I knew it was bad, and furthermore Kurapika kept glancing at me. "What? - The troupe comes from Meteor City?" Yeah, this really sounded bad.

Eventually Kurapika hung up and sighed. "Basil, you must somehow know the future."

"Huh?"

"The reward's been rescinded," Kurapika explained.

"The reward's been rescinded? Seriously?" Killua said, shocked. I blinked. Oh. Wait. Was this my fault?

"The troupe comes from Meteor City." Kurapika further explained.

"Makes sense…" Leorio pondered. "That explains why their identities are still unknown, and why the cops haven't been able to catch them."

"What's that got to do with it?" I asked, drawing other's attention.

"What's Meteor City?" Gon asked as well.

"A city populated by people who, as far as society is concerned, don't exist." Leorio explained. My mouth made an O shape. I remembered that place! Kai-san was explaining once about Meteor Ciy, said if I'm ever asked where I come from that should be my response from now on.

"There's a city like that?" Gon asked.

"Yeah, I remember now," I said, nodding. "Kai-san talked about it once..."

"Yeah. Officially, it's unpopulated. But it's said that ten million people live there," Leorio started to explain. "It began as a dump over 1,500 years ago." Wow, 1,500 years ago? In my world something like this would have only been going on for the past hundred years at most! "People began to live off the garbage that was dumped there. You're allowed to dump anything there. From garbage to weapons to even people. And the residents will accept anything left there. I've heard that Meteor City residents share a bond, thinner than that between strangers, stronger than that between family."

"Actually, there are those who provide Meteor City with weapons and precious metals under the pretext of garbage," Kurapika explained. I was nearly shaking my head. No one would ever get away with something like this in my world. "That would be the Mafia community."

"What do you mean? But the Mafia is hunting the Troupe!" Gon exclaimed.

"In return, the Mafia recruited people from Meteor city," Kurapika further stated. "People who didn't exist, as far as society was concerned. Perfect for committing crimes. The Troupe destroyed the normally intimate relationship between the Mafia community and Meteor City. But the Mafia has decided to prioritize that relationship."

"No one would ever get away with anything like that in my world," I mumbled, though the others heard me. I stared at them a second, then sighed. "The entire world is governed by different people who hold all the power. There's satellites and all sorts of ways to see everything. Someone can go onto the computer and see anyone's history if they've done a crime, can see any place in the world, and everything that happens can be found online if you look."

"That's the same as here, I don't see how-" I cut Leorio off.

"Every piece of land is owned by one country or another, every product, every sale, every thing. There's no way to exist without spending money on something, and even if you're homeless you were raised by someone who birthed you in a hospital somewhere and got your name printed on paper. The only way for you to become someone who doesn't exist is for you to have been born out on the streets, and afterwords left to fend on your own, your name not even in the books. If you ever try to get any money, steal, anything, you suddenly exist. Anything out of the ordinary." I sighed. "In my world, Meteor City would have officially become a city, no one would be allowed to dump garbage there anymore, and everyone who lived there would exist. The Phantom Troupe would be a terrorist organization and would have the military on their heels at every movement."

"Then tell me, Basil," I paused, looking at a serious Kurapika who was staring at me. "How is it, in such an advanced society such as this, you managed to live for so long being abused by your parents without anyone doing anything?" I bit my lip, looking away from him in shame.

"Simple," I started. "Anyone under 18 basically has no power whatsoever."

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**Alright, finally finished! Thanks for reading! T^T All the feels... Ah! It'll get interesting next chapter~! ^^**

**Speaking of which, I'm still trying to write this but I've gotten so busy! T^T I'm trying my hardest to work on this more and finish it and get it to you but... Life... So if I receive 10 or more reviews this chapter, even just saying boop or something, I'll make this my top priority. ^^ Seriously.**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. The poll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. I really appreciate all the votes I've gotten so far and it's really a relief, and honestly I wish I didn't need to keep posting this reminder but the top three are so close, neck and neck, and I want one to be further than the others before I choose it. Thanks!**


	53. Chapter 53

**Ah, so the reason it's taking me so long to update these is I've finally graduated highschool. I guess that's good, but... I mean I'm so busy! But anyways, thanks so much for all your support! It really means a lot! Thanks so much for reading!**

**So here's an extra long chapter for you guys! ^^ I realized I wasn't working much on this so I quickly went to write the last chapter and even wrote lots of this! I'll try to get the next chapter out to you guys just as fast, but I don't have much of it yet, so please be patient! T^T**

**Guest - XD I knew someone would do that LOL**

**NoreasonwhyI'mhere - Thanks! XD**

**Crystal-Breezy - XD Thanks! ^^**

**Crescentclaw - Yeah, I know, right? I love my improvisational brain. TwT But thank you! Hopefully this chapter came out how you liked? ^^**

**Sketch Drawers - Thanks! Me as well, that's one of my favorite parts to write. And I will. Here it is!**

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**"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." - Steve Jobs**

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_Re-cap:_

_"Hello- Melody? What is it?" I could only hear half the conversation but I knew it was bad, and furthermore Kurapika kept glancing at me. "What? - The troupe comes from Meteor City?" Yeah, this really sounded bad._

_Eventually Kurapika hung up and sighed. "Basil, you must somehow know the future."_

_"Huh?"_

_"The reward's been rescinded," Kurapika explained._

_"The reward's been rescinded? Seriously?" Killua said, shocked. I blinked. Oh. Wait. Was this my fault?_

_"The troupe comes from Meteor City." Kurapika further explained._

_"Makes sense…" Leorio pondered. "That explains why their identities are still unknown, and why the cops haven't been able to catch them."_

_"What's that got to do with it?" I asked, drawing other's attention._

_"What's Meteor City?" Gon asked as well._

_"A city populated by people who, as far as society is concerned, don't exist." Leorio explained. My mouth made an O shape. I remembered that place! Kai-san was explaining once about Meteor City, said if I'm ever asked where I come from that should be my response from now on._

_"There's a city like that?" Gon asked._

_"Yeah, I remember now," I said, nodding. "Kai-san talked about it once..."_

_"Yeah. Officially, it's unpopulated. But it's said that ten million people live there," Leorio started to explain. "It began as a dump over 1,500 years ago." Wow, 1,500 years ago? In my world something like this would have only been going on for the past hundred years at most! "People began to live off the garbage that was dumped there. You're allowed to dump anything there. From garbage to weapons to even people. And the residents will accept anything left there. I've heard that Meteor City residents share a bond, thinner than that between strangers, stronger than that between family."_

_"Actually, there are those who provide Meteor City with weapons and precious metals under the pretext of garbage," Kurapika explained. I was nearly shaking my head. No one would ever get away with something like this in my world. "That would be the Mafia community."_

_"What do you mean? But the Mafia is hunting the Troupe!" Gon exclaimed._

_"In return, the Mafia recruited people from Meteor city," Kurapika further stated. "People who didn't exist, as far as society was concerned. Perfect for committing crimes. The Troupe destroyed the normally intimate relationship between the Mafia community and Meteor City. But the Mafia has decided to prioritize that relationship."_

_"No one would ever get away with anything like that in my world," I mumbled, though the others heard me. I stared at them a second, then sighed. "The entire world is governed by different people who hold all the power. There's satellites and all sorts of ways to see everything. Someone can go onto the computer and see anyone's history if they've done a crime, can see any place in the world, and everything that happens can be found online if you look."_

_"That's the same as here, I don't see how-" I cut Leorio off._

_"Every piece of land is owned by one country or another, every product, every sale, every thing. There's no way to exist without spending money on something, and even if you're homeless you were raised by someone who birthed you in a hospital somewhere and got your name printed on paper. The only way for you to become someone who doesn't exist is for you to have been born out on the streets, and afterwords left to fend on your own, your name not even in the books. If you ever try to get any money, steal, anything, you suddenly exist. Anything out of the ordinary." I sighed. "In my world, Meteor City would have officially become a city, no one would be allowed to dump garbage there anymore, and everyone who lived there would exist. The Phantom Troupe would be a terrorist organization and would have the military on their heels at every movement."_

_"Then tell me, Basil," I paused, looking at a serious Kurapika who was staring at me. "How is it, in such an advanced society such as this, you managed to live for so long being abused by your parents without anyone doing anything?" I bit my lip, looking away from him in shame._

_"Simple," I started. "Anyone under 18 basically has no power whatsoever."_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I sighed, staring out the window down to the streets below and the buildings along the way. I was exhausted, I really wanted to sleep, but I knew there was no point. I'd just wake in my world. It wasn't like I could just make another wish to stay here. It wasn't like I hadn't already tried that several times. Plus...

They needed me here. To help. To catch the Troupe and, and...

And what? What reason did I have for being here? To get stronger? Have fun? Help my friends? Sure I could do my barriers but what good would that do against a troupe member? Probably only stall them for a second... If I was lucky. And it didn't seem luck was ever on my side...

Plus I'd only come to see my friends again, not to be dragged once more into trouble! Honestly all I wanted was to live a simple life, free of worry and anxiety... But then why? Why was it I'd decided to become a hunter? The money? Something to do? A challenge? Freedom? It could have just been an opportunity, one I was too eager to grasp onto.

But no, I knew that was only me lying to myself. I remembered that young girl's smiling face, and the freedom and hope I'd brought to Maki. All those girls... They were able to go out and do what they wanted because I managed to help them. I smiled at myself as I stared in the window. Yeah, that was it. I wanted to bring freedom to others, the same kind of freedom and release I'd felt when I first came to this world. Yes, even for Killua, Gon, Kura, and Crisei... Leorio even. I wanted them to be free of regrets and burdens and be able to succeed. To help Leorio become a doctor. To help Killua escape his fate of being born an assassin, to be friends with Gon and myself. For Gon to find his father. For Crisei to succeed and do the things he's always wanted to do. And Kurapika...

I wanted to help Kurapika find his family's eyes and to get revenge on the troupe for taking them in the first place. Yes.

That was why I was here.

I started back to the others and chuckled as I saw Killua and Gon fighting as always.

"Stop being coy and spit it out..." Killua said angrily, choking Gon in a headlock.

"You're strangling me! I'm going to die!" Gon yelled. I knew Killua wouldn't really do it, but still, I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Killua... You should let him breathe..." I said nervously. Killua flashed me a seemingly annoyed look, which I blinked back at, frowning, but let go of Gon. I sighed, glancing away from the silver haired boy.

"You should sleep." I immediately looked back at Killua. "You look exausted." I shook my head.

"Later. I'll be fine. I can go several days without sleep." I smiled at him, but he upsettingly looked away, lips moving slightly as something that sounded like 'not something to be proud of' left them.

"It'll be fine Killua," Gon said with a smile. "Anyway, I'll work something out for the game. So for now, let's stick to the troupe."

"Do you really have a plan?" Killua asked, looking back at the other boy. I watched the two, looking back and forth between them.

"Yep, but it's not guaranteed to work." Gon replied.

"How likely is it going to work?" Killua questioned.

"Huh?"

"What percentage do you think your plan has of working?" Killua questioned further.

"Eh… Seventy percent." Gon replied, a look of thought.

"Seventy?" Killua repeated, slightly surprised.

"M-Maybe more like sixty.,.." Gon corrected, scratching the back of his head and smiling nervously.

"What's the plan?" I asked.

"He won't say," Killua responded with a huff, So that's what the fight was about. "But he can have it his way." He looked back at Gon. "I'll let you handle the game. But we can't deal with the troupe alone. We only move if Kurapika helps us."

"Okay." Gon replied with a nod. The two started off, and I followed.

"You wanting to help as well?" Killua asked, glancing at me, seeming upset. I was taken aback for a moment, but nodded.

"Yeah. I want to help people with their goals," I replied. "So they can be free of the burdens of revenge, regret, fear, loneliness, hatred, and the like." I smiled at Killua, who made a small noise, turning his head back away from me once more.

I swore he was blushing. He couldn't have been, could he? Nah, it was just the lighting. It had to be.

* * *

"You're not planning to intercept them, are you?" Was the first thing I heard when we rounded the corner, coming from Leorio's mouth. "That's crazy... How can you confront them without Mafia support?!" Without Mafia support? Oh right, no reward anymore... Was that what he meant? Or did Kura-Nii-san have the Mafia backing him up this entire- no, Kurapika wouldn't have acepted that.

"You have it wrong Leorio," Kurapika replied. "I never had any help from the mafia." Thought so.

"Kurapika, let us help. We're willing to do anything." Gon siad as the three of us got behind him. The blonde turned around, looking at us.

"The reward was rescinded," Kurapika replied.

"So?" I said. "We want to help you."

"I want to stop the Phantom Troupe. That hasn't changed." Gon continued. I smiled at him, then glanced at Killua, whose face betrayed that he was against this whole idea. Was he seriously in it just for the money? If he ever wanted I could just go back into my world and- Oh. I forgot to tell them how much I made and give them their share of the money...

"You'd be risking your lives," Kurapika stated. I glanced back at Gon. He wasn't budging. Neither was I. I've risked my like all too many times. "Okay let's put together a plan."

"Uh-huh." Gon nodded. Killua let out a dramatic, upset sigh. I chuckled at that, which caused the ex-assassin to glare at me. I just playfully stuck my tongue out at him as the five us us started over to a comfortable spot to sit.

"First, we'll need someone to watch their base, and to provide updates," Kurapika stated, sitting down.

"I can do that," Killua said immediately with a small sigh, sliding into the seat near the window. Leorio sat in the opposite space across from him, next to Kurapika, while I sat on the other side of my adoptive brother.

"The target is the woman named Pakunoda. You can ignore everyone else," Kurapika said to Killua.

"Okay," Killua replied with a nod.

"Be very careful," Kurapika added.

"Don't worry, I won't push my luck." Killua

"I'll need a driver to accompany me," Kurapika continued. "Leorio, could you handle that?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah…" Leorio replied, somewhat startled.

"It'll be fine. You'll be safe if you're with Kurapika." Killua said with a smile.

"Hey, Killua... Don't make it sound like I was scared or something!" Leorio yelled. I chuckled at their little squabble.

"Kurapika, what about me and Basil?" Gon said. I glanced at Gon, then nodded at Kurapika.

"Yeah, I want to help. I'll do anything!" I said.

"Gon, I need you to act as decoy, to throw the enemy off," Kurapika replied with no hesitstion.

"Got it." Gon said with a nod.

"What about me?" I quickly interjected.

"The troupe doesn't know you and it'd be bad for you to get near them," Kurapika replied, looking at me. "Plus you can't do Zetsu, but your barrier would be a great help to stall. I'd like you to stay with me."

"Hold on," Killua said, leaning forward, serious. "Isn't Gon's a dangerous role? He'll have to face the troupe members again!"

"That depends on our strategy," Kurapika replied.

"Strategy? What strategy will we use?" Killua asked questioningly.

"A very simple one," Kurapika responded. "While the enemy is occupied with Gon, I'll capture Pakunoda and escape by car."

"That sounds a little shaky…" Killua said suspiciously. I nodded.

"It has to be. To form a good plan you need room to be flexible for unknown circumstances," I responded, then glanced at Kurapika, who had a slight smile on his face as he looked at me.

"Basil is right. There are too many uncertainties for me to devise a concrete plan. I'll let Gon decide his strategy." Kurapika looked at Gon. "But I'll need you to draw their attention for at least half a second… a full second if at possible."

"One second, then?" Gon repeated.

"Yeah," Kurapika said. He turned to me. "Basil, I'll be relying on you as well to manage a barrier, or maybe multiple. Can you do that?" I hesitated a second, but nodded.

"I will try my best," I replied. Kurapika frowned.

"I need to know what you can and can't do, or else there will be issues. You and Gon are key. Can you handle it?" Kurapika asked again.

"I'm not sure. I'll need to think about it," Gon replied, thinking. I nodded.

"I can do a single barrier, but multiple..."

"You have six hours," Kurapika stated. "If the auction proceeds as scheduled, the spiders will make their move before then."

"Hey, why are you accepting our help now?" Killua asked suspiciously.

"Because the risk I'm taking has increased," Kurapika responded. I inwardly chuckled. I don't think Gon or I would have settled on him not accepting our help anyways. "I have to eliminate Pakunoda immediately. No matter the cost." There was silence a second.

Kurapika had really changed. He was way more serious, way more driven. It'd consumed him...

Would I have eventually become like this? If my fear had consumed me? Would I have become so fearful and timid of everything? If it hadn't been for Kai-san... Would I have become different? Something... Someone else?

"Kurapika. Put a Nen blade in me!" Gon said, interrupting my thoughts.

"A nen blade?" Killua asked.

"Gon, weren't you listening?" Leorio shouted. "Kurapika will die if he attacks anyone who isn't a troupe member!"

"Keep your voice down!" Kurapika yelled back at him. I stared at Kurapika a moment. I really did kind of feel bad... His voice, at every tone that came out of his voice I could hear the tiredness from him. This was going to further consume him. I could tell. I wanted to help but, what else could I do? Kura would become strong and dangerous, but at what cost?

What cost would I have had to give? What costs will I still have to atone for for these friends, this new life, these abilities? There was no way I was going to get out of this for free.

"Then why is there a Nen blade in Kurapika's chest?" Gon further questioned, pointing at the Kurta. "Kurapika isn't a member of the troupe." There was a second as that registered in everyone's heads. I stared at Kurapika. Gon was right... Why hadn't I realized that? How did he... What if he was attacked by someone not in the troupe? Wouldn't... Wouldn't he be left defenseless in that case?

"What I'm about to tell you will increase my risk further," Kurapika stated.

"Okay," Leorio said, standing and going to leave. He paused, looking back at Killua, then to me. "Hey Killua... Basil..." Killua looked at Gon, who nodded, then stood to leave as well, clearly slightly perterbed to be having to go. I hesitated however. I was curious, but... I mean I didn't want Kurapika to be in anymore risk than he was in...

Kurapika glanced at me. I knew I could keep his secret. It didn't matter what kind of torture I went through, I could keep his secret. But that wasn't the issue. The issue was the woman Pakunoda. She could read minds, so even if- No, I trusted myself. She wouldn't get anything from me. No matter how much probing and torture she did, I'd already conditioned myself. I was the perfect secret machine. So the issue wasn't Pakunoda, it was the fact of Kurapika himself. The fact that he was telling Gon, and even telling me would increase his risk. But how would the knowledge of how he can fight and defend risk him? No, it wouldn't risk him as much as it'd give away more secrets to his ability, which he wanted to keep secret. For the knowledge of how one's ability works is the way some can defeat their opponent. So in actuality, me leaving was more a sign of respect.

"Good luck Nii-san," I said, starting to stand. "I trust your decisions." However Kurapika stopped me.

"You should hear this too." I stared at him a minute. "Since I'll be using your barriers for protection, it'd be a good idea for us to stay informed of each other's limitations so we can work well together. In return I'd like to further talk about your ability later." I nodded, sitting down next to Gon's right so Kurapika didn't have to move his head too much. Leorio and Killua left around the corner.

It made sense. In return I'd tell him my secrets. Honestly my barriers were the only real protection and support I had, so telling how they worked to someone would further increase my risk as well. But it was a risk I was willing to take.

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**Hey guys! So again, thanks for the reviews lol, but I didn't get 10 like I thought so I'm not going to make this my main project. HOWEVER! I am going to be now working on this daily unless something comes up. I made sure to add it to my daily list so I'll do at least a paragraph a day. ^^ ALSO! Sorry this is also a long talking chapter, if you hate those. If you like them, good, you'll have fun with this. For those action lovers you'll like the next few chapters. ^^**

**Anyways, the reason I got this to you so fast if because I'll have no time to work on it tomorrow! Why? I'm going to be doing a livestream! XD It'll be an all day 24 hour livestream, so make sure to check it out! The information is on my Deviantart. My username is IsellaHowler. Thanks for checking it out if you do! XD And if you comment during the livestream that you're one of my fanfiction followers, I'll add a little something special into the livestream for you. ^^**

**Oh, as for a special tidbit of information, did you know that not even I know what is going to happen next? So this entire story it's like I'm reading it as I'm writing it? XD It's my method of writing, I have things here and there, big story things like the ending or where some big thing will happen to advance the plot, and even Killua, Kurapika, and everyone's lines pre-written to follow along their journey; and if it breaks off I have both sides written because I don't know yet which path Basil will take, but I never know what'll honestly happen next! Gayle and the girl? NEVER thought about them or knew they were going to be in they story till I was writing them in. Crisei having a twin brother? Not known until I wrote it. Same as the other 95% of stuff Basil says or does! Isn't that interesting? Also means if you suggest something I might add it~**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. The poll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. I really appreciate all the votes I've gotten so far and it's really a relief, and honestly I wish I didn't need to keep posting this reminder but the top three are so close, neck and neck, and I want one to be further than the others before I choose it. Thanks!**


	54. Chapter 54

**Ah, thanks for reading! I'm actually focusing more on this now because I'm getting excited~ You'll see why~ XD Can't wait for this arc to be done~**

**Four quotes this time! XD**

**Zeladious - Aw, thanks! ^^**

**BizzyLizy - It's fine! Thanks! ^^**

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**"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." - Leo Tolstoy**

**"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." - Winston Churchill**

**"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." - Lao Tzu**

**"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." - Maya Angelou**

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_Re-cap:_

_"What I'm about to tell you will increase my risk further," Kurapika stated._

_"Okay," Leorio said, standing and going to leave. He paused, looking back at Killua, then to me. "Hey Killua... Basil..." Killua looked at Gon, who nodded, then stood to leave as well, clearly slightly perterbed to be having to go. I hesitated however. I was curious, but... I mean I didn't want Kurapika to be in anymore risk than he was in..._

_Kurapika glanced at me. I knew I could keep his secret. It didn't matter what kind of torture I went through, I could keep his secret. But that wasn't the issue. The issue was the woman Pakunoda. She could read minds, so even if- No, I trusted myself. She wouldn't get anything from me. No matter how much probing and torture she did, I'd already conditioned myself. I was the perfect secret machine. So the issue wasn't Pakunoda, it was the fact of Kurapika himself. The fact that he was telling Gon, and even telling me would increase his risk. But how would the knowledge of how he can fight and defend risk him? No, it wouldn't risk him as much as it'd give away more secrets to his ability, which he wanted to keep secret. For the knowledge of how one's ability works is the way some can defeat their opponent. So in actuality, me leaving was more a sign of respect._

_"Good luck Nii-san," I said, starting to stand. "I trust your decisions." However Kurapika stopped me._

_"You should hear this too." I stared at him a minute. "Since I'll be using your barriers for protection, it'd be a good idea for us to stay informed of each other's limitations so we can work well together. In return I'd like to further talk about your ability later." I nodded, sitting down next to Gon's right so Kurapika didn't have to move his head too much. Leorio and Killua left around the corner._

_It made sense. In return I'd tell him my secrets. Honestly my barriers were the only real protection and support I had, so telling how they worked to someone would further increase my risk as well. But it was a risk I was willing to take._

_End Re-cap_

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"I'll start with the conclusion. It is indeed possible," Kurapika started as he looked at the two of us. He held up his hands as the chains were summoned. I stared at them in wonder. It was so cool! I could have some up with a cool ability like that! "The five chains have different abilities. Two of the chains are for attacking Spiders." Kurapika moved his middle finger in indication. "The first is Chain Jail. The binded target is forced into a state of Zetsu. This power is for capturing the spiders." He paused, pointing his pinkey out and displaying the chain. "And this is my Judgement Chain. I point a blade at the target's heart, then state rules that must follow. If a rule is broken, the target dies. As you've figured out, I pointed a blade at my own heart. At first, I devised the rule that I would die if I attacked anyone besides a spider with my chains, and I set a blade pointed at myself. But that was when I realized something. Would using them on myself be a violation of that rule?" Kurapika paused, both in thought and to let the words sink into Gon and my heads. As lightning flashed outside and thunder roared I flinched. Kurapika looked so foreboding... "It was possible I would be an exception, but I didn't know for sure," he finally continued. "That's why I adjusted the rule. I can only use Chain Jail against the spiders. Meaning that I can use my Judgement Chain on those who aren't spiders. But first a condition must be met."

"A condition?" Gon asked. I made sure to soak in all this information. It was minor in the case of helping me with my Nen, but it was enough that I might be able to get stronger... Plus... To help Kurapika...

"This chain can only be used when my eyes are scarlet." Kurapika replied, his eyes in turn turning scarlet. I stared at him in awe. I'd never seen anything- I quickly shook my head. Stay focused!

"You can make your eyes scarlet now?" Gon asked.

"I had to work at it," Kurapika replied. "It took a while before I could deliberately turn them scarlet. I mastered the power in my middle finger by vowing to never release this chain, and to always risk death. The power in my pinky was resolved by my unique nature. When my eyes are scarlet, I become a specialist. And I can use any ability I've learned at full strength." I blinked. His words gave me an idea. A way to improve my Hatsu, my barriers. I blinked again as I'd noticed Leorio and Killua had snuck in. What the hell were they doing?

"I'm not sure what that means, but you should be able to use your Nen blade on me, right?" Gon asked.

"Yes," Kurapika replied.

"Me as well," I said, looking back at Kurapika. "I know I can keep your secret but... In this world I don't know what'll happen so it's better safe than sorry." I nodded. I wanted to help Kurapika as much as I could.

"Go ahead. You can choose the rule to set," Gon said, pointing to his heart. I was hesitant, but I nodded again.

"I accept your resolve." Kurapika said, raising his hands. However whatever he was about to do was stopped by Leorio and Killua raising up from behind him, startling him. I chuckled at the surprised look on Kurapika's face.

"Can you make four of those blades?" Killua asked.

"You can rescind the rule once our mission is over, right?" Leorio added.

"Killua! Leorio!" Gon exclaimed. I just smiled.

"We had a little talk. And since we're working together…" Leorio started.

"We should share the same fate." Killua continued.

"What do you say?" The two said at once.

"The answer to both questions is yes," Kurapika responded after a second, shutting his eyes in thought. When he opened them they were no longer red. I pouted. They were so pretty though... But wait, didn't he say his eyes had to be red for him to use his Judgement Chain? "But you four are wholly mistaken. I never had any intention of using my blade on you guys." I blinked at his statement. But... Wouldn't it be safer? No. No it wouldn't be. I understood now. He trusted us already, and because we were friends he didn't want any of us to die. It was easier for us to not have the chains in our bodies.

"Then why endanger yourself by telling us your secret?" Gon asked.

"Gon, I wanted… No I wanted to thank all of you for your resolve," Kurapika responded. "Even if one of you ends up revealing my secret, I will have no regrets. I have good friends…" I smiled. I understood completely. Good friends...

I never thought in all my years I'd be saying that. That I had good friends such as these. People who I could share with and trust. People who I wanted to help just as much as they wanted to help me. Yes. Kurapika, you were right.

"That's not fair, Kurapika. You're actually putting more pressure on us this way," Gon said unhappily with a frown that turned into a nervous smile.

"That was my goal," Kurapika replied, straight faced.

No Kurapika, I don't think it was...

"Oh, I get it now!" Gon replied, letting out a laugh. Kurapika chuckled as well.

"Well, I'll head out, then. Can't waste any time," Killua said, starting on his way.

"Oh wait, Killua!" I quickly said, grabbing his arm so he didn't go too far. "I kept forgetting to tell you... The money I earned from my world..." Killua waved his hand, signalling it was fine.

"Tell me later," He said with a slight smirk. I watched him start to leave again. That idiot.

"I will!"

"Good!" He called back.

"Be careful Killua!"

"You two Basil!" He waved slightly, opening the door to leave, though paused as someone was there and let him in before leaving completely.

"Yo, what'd I miss?" Crisei said with a wave.

* * *

"Fucking cheap ass whore!" I paused as a body was landed in front of me, not having fallen, but having been pushed. The girl stumbled in the mud a moment as the men backed off and I went to help her up.

"Leave me alone, I'm fine," she snapped at me. I stared at her a second as she started to wipe the mud off her skimpy clothes. I helped, using my Nen to successfully get the mud off.

"Bitch, I said leave me alone! Go bother someone else! You don't belong here." I stared at her a moment. I knew she wasn't really mean. I could see it. It was something I'd seen before. Retaliation. People are mean to you and you are mean to others. Maybe that's what I would have become too if I'd never been able to find a place?

"You're right, I don't belong here," I responded. The woman stared at me. "But it's not like I have a choice." The two of us stood there for a moment, staring at each other.

"Where are you from?" The lady asked. I thought a moment.

"Not here. I'm just crashing in the city for now since I'm stuck in this world..." I paused, realizing what I said. I chuckled at myself. Who would have thought? This was the world I was born to, yet this was not my home. I no longer belonged here. This was just a reality I had to accept, that I was forced to be here whenever I slept, that I was forced to be tied to this world.

"Crazy..." I watched the lady hurry away from me with a scoff. I sighed. Whatever.

I continued along the road looking back and forth. It was light out here, the sun just having risen. I wasn't supposed to be here long, just long enough my body on the other side could rest a bit. Kurapika had suggested 15 minutes, so that was 30 here until I had to go to sleep. I was currently just exploring, there wasn't anything to do here anyways.

I got some water from a fountain with a sigh, eyes glancing around suspiciously. That guy was still following me, I could sense him. Derek was it? He'd made no move yet, all I'd seen was glimpses of him here and there. He was just watching... Watching wasn't bad except it made me uncomfortable. Maybe I should confront him...

I soon found myself leaning against a wall in an alleyway mouth, staring out at the streets as they became busier. What was I even doing? Was I trying to talk to him? I honestly didn't want o but my body said differently. I just stood there, waiting. Hopefully the boy'd get the hint.

"Oy! Kid! This ain't no leisure zone! Beat it!" I glanced at the man who stood near me, staring at me with a scowl as he was putting out a sign for his shop. When I didn't reply he pulled out his phone. "Or I'll call the authorities!" I really didn't want that to happen, so I started to go but stopped as a voice called from the alleyway.

"Derek see you girly. Girly want to talk? Girly follow Derek." I stared into the alleyway. I could track him with En easy, but I walked deeper into the alleyway and broke out to the other side, looking around in slight confusion. What was I even doing? "Come girly!" I flinched as a hand grabbed my wrist and immediately pushed the perpetrator back, sending the poor boy flying. However he grinned as he sat there, in the garbage, as I looked back at him.

"I'm so sorry, you startled me..."

"Derek like you a lot. Derek offer help." Help?

"Help? What do you mean?"

"You help Derek Derek help you." I stared at him for a second.

"I don't need help." Just time. And maybe... A wish. To stay in the Nen world.

"Girly lie."

"Stop calling me girly." The boy thought a second as he stared at me, then grinned again.

"Girly on run from cops, right? Derek help hide you. Derek want strength too, like you." I stared at him.

"What-" He held up a flyer. I hurried over and looked at it. Shit.

The 'have you seen me?' post was big, hard to miss. People in this town wouldn't easily pass over something like that. And if I was recognized... That'd be the end for me here and I'd have to run again.

"Deal."

"What?" Derek seemed taken aback a second, frowning in surprise, then smiled. "Deal! Yay! Derek learn magic!" He started to dance around.

"It's not magic..." I said, however my comment went ignored. I sighed. "Please... Don't make me regret this..." I was honestly desperate.

It was time I relied on someone in this world besides myself.

* * *

I woke up in the car, leaning against Gon. I yawned, then drowsily looked around. 15 minutes sleep was not enough for this body, but it was all I was going to get. At least some of the lack of fatigue from my other body seemed to carry over.

That grinding sensation was back. It was starting to annoy me, because I felt like I should be worried, but it was starting to become normal I was able to convince myself it was nothing. I looked forward, yawning again.

"Hey Leorio, where's Nii-" I cut myself off when the girl in the passenger's seat turned to look at me. Wait. It took me a moment to realize that that was Kurapika.

"Basil, I wanted to talk to you more about your abilities and your role," he said. I nodded. "Leorio can stop by a place to get a snack if you want and-"

"Oh no, I'm good, but thanks. I trust Gon and Leorio." I smiled. Kurapika sat in silence for a moment before nodding.

"Then let me ask you-" He paused as his phone went off, then answered and clicked a button. Killua's voice popped on, on speaker, explaining the situation. Apparently there were multiple buildings, all identical.

"That is most likely a Conjurer's work." Kurapika said after Killua's explanation. I wondered if I'd ever be able to create huge barriers... I inwardly shook my head. My barriers were based on En. My En wasn't that big, and so far my biggest barrier was the size of a hotel room. And that was when I wasn't exhausted.

"Yeah, that's gotta be it," Killua responded through the phone. "These building weren't here yesterday. This has to be Nen."

"Man, these guys are really crazy… They have someone who can conjure entire buildings!" Leorio exclaimed, grip tightening on the wheel. Leorio was right, but it'd make sence. People like the troupe, they wouldn't want just anyone to join. They'd have a small group of really insanely experienced Nen users.

"It's safe to assume that they're rigged somehow," Kurapika said. I nodded.

"I learned that from Kai-san, the things conjurers conjure can act like En. Don't go near then," I said. Kurapika looked at me, then nodded.

"Really?" Gon asked.

"Yeah."

"That tells us they're still using this place as their base too," Killua said. "The problem is that these buildings create too many blind spots. I can only watch twenty percent of the area at a time."

"However, if you move around too much, you could run into them," Kurapika stated.

"I'd like to avoid that. I mean, I have no idea what I'd do if I heard their voices behind me… My heart is pounding." Killua responded.

"Voices?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, never mind. I read you. For now, return to your original position. I'll call you back in five minutes." With that Kurapika hung up. He then dialed another number and put the phone to his ear. "Hello? Melody? How's it going on your side?" Melody? Who was Melody? Did I miss something? I glanced at Gon but he was just watching Kurapika. When he caught my gaze he smiled and put up a thumbs up. I couldn't help but smile back.

After a tiny bit Kurapika put down the phone and looked back at me. "Alright, so about your barriers..." I looked at him, face turning serious.

"Yes?"

"Can you do multiple?" He asked.

"I haven't tried," I responded. "But if I could their durability would be divided by how many I made most likely."

"How do you currently compensate?"

"Huh?"

"If you have multiple targets to protect?"

"I either make the barrier bigger or a dome over us," I responded. Kurapika thought a second.

"How big can you make them?"

"When I'm not worn out the size of a hotel room I guess, I haven't tried bigger." Kurapika nodded.

"How effective are they?" I had to think of my answer.

"They can stop physical attacks, Nen attacks and abilities, and weapon attacks," I responded after a moment.

"How about mental?"

"Mental?" I thought again. "I haven't dealt with that yet, so I don't know. Oh! But if someone attacks my barrier I can feel their current emotions and basic drive. Also if they use a Nen ability I can feel the basic components of it." Kurapika flung around.

"Explain." I blinked at him, surprised at his interest.

"Well... Like if your chains touched my barrier I'd be able to tell they were conjured, and what they were used for. I mean, Probably not directly, and if you were using all I wouldn't know which one is which, only if they touched my barrier separately. Same with a gun, if a barrage of bullets hits it I can tell if they're real or fake and how hard and fast they're hitting, as well as the distance and direction."

"Whoa, really?" Gon said, awestruck.

"Ah, it's not that big, it's just taking on the role of En," I replied, shaking my hands in my face nervously.

"It is though," Kurapika responded. "An ability like that is very useful and would help greatly. How much damage can it withstand?"

"Depends," was my reply. "If it's just a weapon or punching I'm good, I can last, if not tired, for no longer than ten minutes. If they're strong and or smart about their attacks more like 5. However I've never lasted over a minute with Nen attacks from Kai-san, and he even punched right through it in one go with a Nen punch, so it only delayed him a second or two." Kurapika nodded.

"That's quite alright."

"I can feel it breaking against my skin when I use it..." I said, glancing at the floor of the car. "Sometimes it's scary."

"Basil, you're amazing. I'm sure you'll get stronger," Leorio said. I smiled.

"Yeah! You're smart too!" Gon added. I elbowed him playfully in response, sticking my tongue out at him. He stuck his tongue back, but then his phone rang.

"Killua?" Gon said, putting the phone to his ear.

"The woman's here," Killua said, loud enough Kurapika and I could hear his voice through the phone. "She's with her buddies. There are six, moving together. That topknot guy's here too." Gon made a face.

"Is he really that bad?" I asked. Gon nodded.

"One more thing," Killua added. "There's one person that wasn't there yesterday. He's probably the leader." I perked up.

"Can you describe him?" Gon asked.

"He's wearing a black coat, with St. Peter's cross on the back. He has combed-back clack hair. I can't see his face." Killua's tone changed. "And they're too alert! I'm too afraid to circle around in front."

"Let me speak to him," Kurapika said, holding his hand out. Gon handed him the phone and he put it to his ear. "Where are you now?" I couldn't hear Killua's voice clearly anymore. "There's a station nearby. Can you make it onto their train?" Oh, they were heading to a train station? I wondered where they were going... There must be some purpose... My brain started racking with options again. "Leorio, take us south." Kurapika kept the phone to his ear, on, for the time being.

I watched the cars and trees and buildings pass by. We were going to head into a battle soon. I didn't know what kind, but I knew a battle of some form would happen.

And it wouldn't come without casualties.

I looked back at Kurapika, staring forward, sunglasses hiding the emotion in his eyes.

Kurapika... What are you going to do now?

* * *

**SO! Another apology here, but since I'm getting to the point where I stopped my previous fanfic it will 100% take me longer to do these chapters since I won't have things written out... I'm kinda borrowing others's fanfics for the quotes the other people say now instead of using my own. Also having to rewatch episodes here, very, very slowly as I write absolutely everything said down word for word... It really sucks, too many feels! T^T**

**But hey, we're getting close to the G.I. Arc here! XD**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. The poll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. I really appreciate all the votes I've gotten so far and it's really a relief, and honestly I wish I didn't need to keep posting this reminder but the top three are so close, neck and neck, and I want one to be further than the others before I choose it. Thanks!**


	55. Chapter 55

**Thanks so much for reading! I'm actually focusing more on this now because I'm getting excited~ You'll see why~ XD Can't wait for this arc to be done~ However that means the excitement will pass once they get into Greed Island... So... I might start to procrastinate again when I get there. ^^;**

**Zeladious - ... Watashi wa zutto Nihon o rikai shite inai, zan'nen ^^; Thanks for the edits!**

* * *

**"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." - Alan Watts**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Killua?" Gon said, putting the phone to his ear._

_"The woman's here," Killua said, loud enough Kurapika and I could hear his voice through the phone. "She's with her buddies. There are six, moving together. That topknot guy's here too." Gon made a face._

_"Is he really that bad?" I asked. Gon nodded._

_"One more thing," Killua added. "There's one person that wasn't there yesterday. He's probably the leader." I perked up._

_"Can you describe him?" Gon asked._

_"He's wearing a black coat, with St. Peter's cross on the back. He has combed-back clack hair. I can't see his face." Killua's tone changed. "And they're too alert! I'm too afraid to circle around in front."_

_"Let me speak to him," Kurapika said, holding his hand out. Gon handed him the phone and he put it to his ear. "Where are you now?" I couldn't hear Killua's voice clearly anymore. "There's a station nearby. Can you make it onto their train?" Oh, they were heading to a train station? I wondered where they were going... There must be some purpose... My brain started racking with options again. "Leorio, take us south." Kurapika kept the phone to his ear, on, for the time being._

_I watched the cars and trees and buildings pass by. We were going to head into a battle soon. I didn't know what kind, but I knew a battle of some form would happen._

_And it wouldn't come without casualties._

_I looked back at Kurapika, staring forward, sunglasses hiding the emotion in his eyes._

_Kurapika... What are you going to do now?_

_End Re-Cap_

* * *

"Melody's in the same car as they are. This train's headed toward Castor. I'm in the last car." Killua said to us through Kurapika's phone.

"Castor…" Kurapika repeated.

"The auction site's that way." Gon said.

"So is our hotel…" Kurapika muttered. My mind was racing. They were definitely headed somewhere. With the numbers they had they could be going to either. But would they target another auction? Or would they be headed to the hotel? My gut said they were headed to the hotel.

"I'm going to hang up now," Killua said.

"Ok, be careful. Call if anything comes up," Kurapika said, hanging up the phone. "Basil."

"Huh?"

"I'm going to be relying on you a lot here to stay near me at all times. So if they attack I need you to be alert and ready to defend so I can stay on attack." I nodded at the Kurta who was explaining his plan. "Are you OK in your world?" I nodded again.

"I have a friend taking care of me now." A smile found it's way to the three boy's faces. "What?"

"It's nice to see you making more friends," Kurapika said. I blushed slightly, turning my face away from them, running a gloved hand through my bangs.

"He's not a friend... He's kind of weird actually..."

"Oh?"

"He speaks in third person a lot and picked up on my Nen."

"I thought you said people in your world can't sense Nen," Kurapika said with a questioning tone, curious. I shook my head.

"They can't use Nen, and Nen doesn't exist there whatsoever. However I can use it there, but that's because I learned it here, so I think Nen is possible in my world, but not discovered yet," I explained, thinking. "I don't think it will either, at least for a long time. Though it is true people there can't really sense Nen, when I use Ren or anything that flares up I turn a lot of attention to me. It just draws people's attention, like a vibe in the air... That's all."

"So how did this guy find out?" Leorio asked. "Did you tell him?" I shook my head.

"He was watching me and noticed all the little unnatural things changing when I transferred worlds. He also knows I'm strong and fast, so... He said he'd protect me from the cops after my butt if I-"

"The cops are after you?!" Leorio yelled.

"Y-yeah..." I murmured.

"Why Basil?" Gon asked. I hesitated my answer.

"That's just how my world is..." I sighed, looking back out the world. The others were silent as well until Kurapika's phone rang once more. It was Killua.

"They got off at Liber Station. They're headed toward the Saloma Department store exit," the ex-assassin said.

"That's not good. The hotel's that way," Kurapika said. I thought so. Might they be trying to go after Kurapika? Probably.

"There's the station," Leorio said, motioning in front of us a ways. "Shouldn't we get closer?"

"No," Kurapika replied, slightly tense. "If we get any closer, they might sense my animosity. Gon, The range I should stay at is the distance from here to the station entrance. I must attack from this distance if I don't want to be noticed. It will take approximately 0.5 seconds to land an attack. That's more than enough time for them to evade it. Unless they're distracted…" I stared at Kurapika. That was amazing, my reaction time wasn't even that good. Sure I could react fast, but most of the time it was instinct. I'd have to be especially focused if I wanted to help my friends, as to set up a barrier took at least a second...

If it was me protecting myself against someone like Kurapika I'd have no chance. And these Troupe members were faster? How did he expect me to be able to help? I was completely useless!

"Don't worry," Gon said to Kurapika. He placed a hand on my shoulder. I flinched, looking at him, then smiled at the look on the boys face. We could do it. If we had a good strategy. This wasn't only a matter of strength, this was a matter of brain power as well.

"Spiders!" Kurapika said quickly with animosity in his voice. I looked forwards toward the station where I saw a group of people walking out, looking around, before talking among themselves. I looked them over, memorizing as much as I could of them.

There was the leader, as Killua had described. I recognized him immediately from the description Killua gave. He looked fairly young. The next one that caught my eye was a short one with hair covering their face completely. They were obviously not a child... Then there was the guy who could only be the 'topknot' guy Killua and Gon were talking about and two girls. One must be the mind-reader. One had pink hair while the other had blonde hair. My bets was on the blonde. The pink haired girl looked more like an attacker that specialized in ninja-like abilities, not a mind-reader. However I didn't know for sure, so there was no way I could make a correct assumption at the moment.

And then they ran.

"They're going toward the hotel," Kurapika said with grit teeth. "They're fast!" I stared at them go. Yes they were... I stared at my hands. Could I really do this?

"Can we get there by car?" Gon asked Leorio, looking out the window.

"It's rush hour," Leorio replied. "They might be faster on foot." Might was an understatement, looking at this traffic. I could probably lightly jog and still make it to the hotel in this rain filled weather faster than Leorio in his car.

The sound of a click brought my attention, as well as Gon's and Leorio's, and we looked over to see Kurapika had jumped out of the car and was now running as fast as he could after the five who had taken off just moments before.

"Kurapika!" Leorio yelled after him.

"Wait here until I contact you," Kurapika yelled back.

"But... What about the plan...?" I asked, unsure of what to do now. Gon hopped out of the car too, running after Kurapika.

"Wait Kurapika... I have a good idea! Kurapika!" I stared after them. What do I do?

"I'm going after them Leorio," I said. "I might not be much help but I might be able to do something!" I hopped out of the car, making sure the two passenger doors were closed, before giving a flabbergasted Leorio a thumbs up and running after the two boys. I saw a familiar flash of white and realized Killua went after them as well.

At this rate I'd never make it. They were much faster than me, speed-wise. I had endurance thanks to... My prior life... However endurance was great for distance, not time. I needed to run faster. Get after them faster. How could I though? There were too many people... It was so crowded, and the others were faster...

Then a thought struck me as I remembered what I had done back in the sewers. I could try using my barriers? Would I be able to risk that? In the long run it might make me slower, but also... If I could do it I'd get there faster than just running along the ground after them. No twists or turns. Able to see what's happening from a distance.

Might as well try.

I quickly dodged into an alleyway, glancing around. What was I even doing? How the hell could I use barriers to climb to the roof? The time in the sewers was a fluke, At that height there was no way...

But what if I made the height smaller?

It only took me a second and I realized what I needed to do, making a barrier big enough for me to jump on, then jump onto a large dumpster. I then made a barrier above that, which I was able to jump across the alleyway and grab a window from, pulling myself up onto the ledge. I made the mistake of looking down and gulped, then repeated the process of making barriers, jumping, and climbing until I reached the roof.

Success.

I grinned at my newfound skill then started running along the rooftops, creating flat barriers from one to the next as I continued running forward as fast as I could, keeping an eye on the streets below.

I didn't see them.

Was I too late? Did I get too far behind? Were they already in trouble? I started to panic. Yes, I wasn't quick enough and now they were in trouble!

I glanced back down at the roads and alleys and sidewalks I passed.

No, I couldn't think that. Maybe they went another way? Maybe they went down a different road, a different alley? Turned somewhere? Maybe I had passed them?

No, I hadn't passed them. I felt no-

Anger. Threatening. A threatening, foreboding feeling. I felt it. Where was it coming from?

I glanced down as I jumped over another alleyway and skidded to a stop, almost falling flat on my face. There, that was Kurapika, right? I couldn't tell much with his wig... I looked down over the edge of the roof again to see two forms. Yes, that looked like Kurapika. Who was that with him?

I glanced around the edge of the alleyway to see two spiders, the leader and the ninja looking girl, and-

Killua and Gon.

Killua and Gon had been captured?!

I stared after them a moment, then down at the girl who I assumed was the Melody Kurapika was talking to and Kurapika himself.

Wait.

How the hell was I going to get down from here?!

* * *

**Soooo sorry for the short chapter! T^T I tried to lengthen it as much as I could but... Things just happened so fast here. I added a bit at the end there though so... I hope it was OK. ^^;**

**Will probably upload the next chapter this week as well. Man I'm on a roll! XD I'm just too excited for this! Though yeah, as I said before, I'm expecting to probably go on hiatus from this again right after they get into Greed Island... Mainly because, seriously, that's not the easiest or most remembered arc for me, and I hate to admit it but... That arc was not written really well by anyone so I'm going to try and write it nicely for you guys but that means making it interesting for myself and let me tell you, Greed Island is the hardest for me to write. Every (Well not every there were two, one was good but the other breezed through it in a chapter) HXH fanfic I've written or read cuts off before then. I'll probs be good with the Chimera ant arc but considering I've only found ONE fanfic that got there and they breezed through it too fast... I'll have to rewatch and copy that entire arc. Not looking forward to it. T^T Unless Basil doesn't go to do the Chimera ants... HMMMM But she needs to be with Killua for things to happen... HMMM Yeah, she'll do the Chimera Ants. But yeah, there'll be issues with that so... Yeah. Just warning you guys, once Greed Island comes there'll be so many issues and stuff... Any help is greatly and deeply appreciated! T^T Love you all!**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. The poll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. I really appreciate all the votes I've gotten so far and it's really a relief, and honestly I wish I didn't need to keep posting this reminder but the top three are so close, neck and neck, and I want one to be further than the others before I choose it. Thanks!**


	56. Chapter 56

**Thanks so much for reading! Love you all! Another short chapter here, I apologize... The next few might be short as well...  
**

* * *

**"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." - Reinhold Niebuhr**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_The sound of a click brought my attention, as well as Gon's and Leorio's, and we looked over to see Kurapika had jumped out of the car and was now running as fast as he could after the five who had taken off just moments before._

_"Kurapika!" Leorio yelled after him._

_"Wait here until I contact you," Kurapika yelled back._

_"But... What about the plan...?" I asked, unsure of what to do now. Gon hopped out of the car too, running after Kurapika._

_"Wait Kurapika... I have a good idea! Kurapika!" I stared after them. What do I do?_

_"I'm going after them Leorio," I said. "I might not be much help but I might be able to do something!" I hopped out of the car, making sure the two passenger doors were closed, before giving a flabbergasted Leorio a thumbs up and running after the two boys. I saw a familiar flash of white and realized Killua went after them as well._

_At this rate I'd never make it. They were much faster than me, speed-wise. I had endurance thanks to... My prior life... However endurance was great for distance, not time. I needed to run faster. Get after them faster. How could I though? There were too many people... It was so crowded, and the others were faster..._

_Then a thought struck me as I remembered what I had done back in the sewers. I could try using my barriers? Would I be able to risk that? In the long run it might make me slower, but also... If I could do it I'd get there faster than just running along the ground after them. No twists or turns. Able to see what's happening from a distance._

_Might as well try._

_I quickly dodged into an alleyway, glancing around. What was I even doing? How the hell could I use barriers to climb to the roof? The time in the sewers was a fluke, At that height there was no way..._

_But what if I made the height smaller?_

_It only took me a second and I realized what I needed to do, making a barrier big enough for me to jump on, then jump onto a large dumpster. I then made a barrier above that, which I was able to jump across the alleyway and grab a window from, pulling myself up onto the ledge. I made the mistake of looking down and gulped, then repeated the process of making barriers, jumping, and climbing until I reached the roof._

_Success._

_I grinned at my newfound skill then started running along the rooftops, creating flat barriers from one to the next as I continued running forward as fast as I could, keeping an eye on the streets below._

_I didn't see them._

_Was I too late? Did I get too far behind? Were they already in trouble? I started to panic. Yes, I wasn't quick enough and now they were in trouble!_

_I glanced back down at the roads and alleys and sidewalks I passed._

_No, I couldn't think that. Maybe they went another way? Maybe they went down a different road, a different alley? Turned somewhere? Maybe I had passed them?_

_No, I hadn't passed them. I felt no-_

_Anger. Threatening. A threatening, foreboding feeling. I felt it. Where was it coming from?_

_I glanced down as I jumped over another alleyway and skidded to a stop, almost falling flat on my face. There, that was Kurapika, right? I couldn't tell much with his wig... I looked down over the edge of the roof again to see two forms. Yes, that looked like Kurapika. Who was that with him?_

_I glanced around the edge of the alleyway to see two spiders, the leader and the ninja looking girl, and-_

_Killua and Gon._

_Killua and Gon had been captured?!_

_I stared after them a moment, then down at the girl who I assumed was the Melody Kurapika was talking to and Kurapika himself._

_Wait._

_How the hell was I going to get down from here?!_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I landed with a small thump, letting my Nen relax and softly release my barrier from under me. A small noise escaped my mouth as I felt my body slow and land on the pavement, but the worst that would happen would be a few bruises on my hands and knees. My eyes opened from their fearful, squinting state and a small smile made it to my face.

"It work- Eep!" My eyes went wide with fear as I was pinned to the wall of the building I'd just jumped from by a hand on my throat.

"Oh, Basil..." I was quickly let go and I backed off from the stressed out Kurapika.

"Sorry, he's just anxious," the soft voiced lady said, looking at me with an apologetic look. I rubbed my neck. I knew Nii-san would never hurt me on purpose but... "But now that they're on the alert, we have to keep our distance, or they'll notice us." She looked at Kurapika. "Make sure you're concealing your presence."

"Damn!" Kurapika exclaimed, gritting his teeth.

"You must be patient," Melody said.

"I understand!" Kurapika yelled back.

"You don't understand!"Melody yelled in return. I glanced back and forth between them in surprise as each spoke. "Your reckless pursuit exposed them to needless danger. Do you know why they let themselves be captured? If you're caught here, no one will be able to stop the troupe!"

"They... What?" I asked. I hadn't been here for the ordeal. Maybe if I had been, something would have changed. Maybe I could have helped, done something...

"It's alright," Melody said to me. "They did what they thought was best. There wasn't much anyone could have done." I nodded.

"I'm sorry…" Kurapika said, visibly relaxing.

"Humans have to lower their guard at some point," Melody stated. "It's an endurance test. We must wait."

"Yeah," Kurapika replied with a nod.

"Where's Squala?" The girl asked.

"He isn't answering his phone," Kurapika replied. "Are you OK Basil?" I nodded. "Sorry I attacked you, you surprised me."

"It's fine. I was caught up in the moment and couldn't think of a better way to get off the roof."

"The roof?" Kurapika asked, glancing up.

"Oh, yeah, it was easier than trying to dodge around the people on the street."

"Killua and I went through back streets," Melody said, "To avoid the people." I nodded as the three of us started to head off.

"So what now Nii-san?" I asked.

"Nii-san? You're siblings?" Melody asked in surprise. I shrugged.

"Not by blood." Melody nodded in understanding.

"We're going to the hotel," Kurapika said. "We need to regroup with Leorio and figure out how to rescue Gon and Killua." I nodded. That seemed like the best option.

"Then what?" I asked. Kurapika glanced at me, seeming to think. So I decided to further explain. "What will you do after the two are rescued? What will you do if you can't rescue them? What will you-"

"We _will_ rescue them," Kurapika said, a hint of anger. My pace faltered as I took a step back and to the side, almost like I was trying to escape his angry tone. "I'm sorry." I shook my head, staring at the ground.

"I mean..." My voice abandoned me.

"You're just listing off possibilities," Melody said. "The worst case scenarios to the best case scenarios, right?" I nodded.

"I mean, what would the worst case scenario be?" I asked, starting to think. "I think it would be they've already killed Killua and Gon and they use them to lure us out, then kill us. Plus a little torture and pain and suffering along the way..." I grit my teeth, tensing up as I tried not to imagine it. "And then none of us can complete our goals. And then they go after everyone else that we love." I noticed Kurapika was getting upset by this thought. "Well, the best case scenario though, they've released Gon and Killua, or the two have already escaped, they're going to meet up with us soon, we lure the Troupe into a trap, and they all die." Kurapika was shaking his head. "Hm?"

"I don't think... That would be the best case scenario..." He said. I thought about it.

"Well what would it be for you?" Kurapika thought for a moment.

"We get Killua and Gon away from them and kill their leader," was Kurapika's response. "Leave them fractured, then pick them off, one by one." I nodded, eyes cast back to the ground. The three of us continued walking.

"What would be a middle-ground?" Melody said after a moment. The two of us glanced at the lady who had a slight smile on her face. "Though the worst and best case scenarios are possible, they're normally highly unlikely and it's more of a possibility a middle-ground option would happen." I nodded.

"I think... Only one or two dying..." I said, lost in thought. "Neither side really winning, but neither losing... And the Troupe becoming dislocated."

"Dislocated...?" Kurapika repeated in thought. "Yeah..."

"So again, what is your plan Kurapika?" I asked.

"Right now let's get to the hotel. Once we regroup with Leorio we can make a solid plan, or as solid as we can. Our first priority would be rescuing Gon and Killua." He left it at that, and I didn't pressure him for more. I'd wait until we met up with Leorio.

It didn't take long to get to the hotel.

"Where are Gon and Killua?" Leorio said as he met up with us.

"We need a new plan," Kurapika responded as he, Melody, and I went with Leorio to some place where we could take private. I was surprised as the room we walked into help Crisei, who was messing with a deck of cards.

"Oh, you're back?" Crisei said, watching us as we entered. "Leorio was worried. Where's Gon and Killua?"

"Kidnapped," I replied. Crisei stood.

"Seriously? Look, if you need any help I'd be willing to do anything. At least anything I can." I smiled weakly at Crisei. He was kind and helpful, but no match for these guys. He'd buckle upon seeing them.

"Stand watch?" Kurapika said.

"Oh. Oh yeah, I can do that," the red-head responded, slightly surprised seeming at the request, walking out the door. Kurapika turned to the rest of us as we sat.

"So, as I said before, our top priority at the moment is rescuing Gon and Killua."

"And after they're rescued?" I repeated from before.

"Depends how we rescue them." I nodded at Kurapika's answer.

"And what if we can't rescue them?" I repeated as well.

"Hey! We WILL res- huh?" Leorio was cut off by Kurapika's hand.

"Explain."

"So what if they no longer need rescuing, or whatever we do they simply, or even one of us, gets captured again? Or even if no matter what we do we can't figure out how to get them from the Troupe's clutches? Or, lastly, if they die?" I was hesitant on that last one, but I still needed to voice it. We needed to take everything into consideration. I'd been blind-sighted too many times by possibilities I didn't think would happen.

"If they no longer need rescuing then we will regroup and go back to our original goal, but a different plan," was Kurapika's immediate answer. "If one or more gets captured again, or we can't seem to get them out of their clutches, we can try a hostage trade, or even wait it out until the possibility to save them arises later under different circumstances." I nodded, approving of his answers. "And if they die or are already dead..." Kurapika's eyes flashed red. "We kill them."

* * *

Our plan was put together within no time, thanks to everyone's support and collaboration. I was to stand near the entrance to help them escape without issue, put a barrier up so just in case the Troupe tried to follow they'd be delayed a bit. Leorio was supposed to play the part of a buisnessman and get the message to Gon and Killua that the lights were going to go out at seven. That'd hopefully delay the troupe long enough for Kurapika to use his Chain Jail on the boss that'd be there, and give the two time to escape. And if they didn't manage to escape, the boss could at least be used as a hostage. Crisei, meanwhile, would be waiting to turn out the power for us, then afterwords exit out the back so he didn't have to face the troupe, and head for the airport where we'd meet him and he'd have an airship ready for us. Crisei was happy with his role and hurried on ahead of us.

I hated being stuck in the receptionist outfit Kurapika had lent me, but I didn't feel as awful when Kurapika had to don one too. I had to repeat my lines over and over in my head, greeting many people who arrived at the hotel the troupe would soon be arriving in. Quickly I got it down. I felt like it was my actual job. I felt like I was actually doing something.

Leorio was sitting on a couch nearby with a newspaper and radio. Kurapika was positioned as a receptionist far enough away he could still land an attack but that they wouldn't sense him before that.

And then the time came. I could feel them before they arrived into the hotel, but I put a smile on my face anyways as I opened the door with a bow. "Welcome to the Hotel Beitacle," I said as they entered. They seemed to ignore me in the most part. The one who was the leader eyed me but I ignored it, keeping the unwavering smile on my face as I looked at them, motioning to the customer service areas. "If you need any help with anything, our customer service stations are right over there, and I'd be happy to answer any ques-"

"We're good, thanks anyways," the pink haired one replied. I nodded.

"Enjoy your stay!" I waved a bit, still smiling, and Killua and Gon eyed me but I discretely winked as I then looked back at the door. Waiting and listening. That is what I had to do. Some people went to leave and I opened the door for them with a smile. "Please, come again soon!" I said to them, who barely nodded as they left. I sighed as I placed my hands behind my back, waiting. This wasn't too difficult.

"Hey! Do you realize what time it is?!" Leorio's voice said soon after, my thoughts being tangled up as time passed on. I was getting too caught up in my role, but that was good. It meant I was playing the part well. "Idiot! It's Hotel Beitacle! How many times do I have to repeat myself?" Leorio stared at the troupe and our friends with an angry look "What are you looking at, eh?" He also looked at the people behind him giving him weird looks. "Eh? This ain't no show! Dang, my future's _dark_ because of the failures working for me! Listen up! I'll _close my eyes_ like nothing happened. One more mistake and you'll get it good! Now listen. _Seven on the dot_. You'd best be at the hotel by then!"

I rolled my eyes. If this is what it was like being a greeter at a hotel... I pitied the ones who did it for real. I sighed.

"It's time for our last song. This request comes from Kicchomu-san," the radio next to Leorio said as he stared at the newspaper. After a bit I looked away. As a greeter I wasn't supposed to deal with people unless they were disturbing the peace a lot, so it wouldn't turn any heads if I didn't scold him. Though I did make sure to suspiciously glance over to the group a few times. Normally people in Kurapika, Leorio, and my position would try not to make eye contact, but in my case... A greeter would be suspicious of the people who came in, not wanting them to cause trouble. So it would make sense I'd look over at them in mild suspicion and curiosity.

Soon enough I saw shadows approaching the door and opened it up, like I did for everyone who came to the hotel. "Welcome to the Hotel Beitacle," I said with a bow as the three entered. "If you need any help with anything, our customer service stations-"

"We're good," the one I was sure was 'topknot' said, cutting me off. I nodded.

"Oh, they're here," the girl with glasses with the first group said, walking forward. I watched after them a moment, then looked back to the door.

"Oh, what's this?" 'Topknot' guy asked. "You got caught again? I get it. You changed your minds and decided to join, right?"

"We didn't know the reward for you guys was rescinded," Killua replied to the man who now stood in front of him.

"So you screwed up again while stalking us? Didn't learn your lesson, huh? But this must be fate at work. Well, let's be friends."

"No way," Killua responded. "We were only following you for the reward. I wouldn't even want to look at your faces."

"I agree," Gon said as well.

"Hehehe, they've got guts, right boss? Their sass reminds me of Uvo," the man said. Uvo... A previous member of the Troupe? Late? Retired? I let more people out.

"That's probably because they're kids," the pink haired ninja said. "They know no fear. Anyways, describe the chain user to us." Wait, what? I immediately stopped my head from spinning to look at them and just barely glanced through my bangs. They already- oh yeah, that blonde must be the mind-reader. And she must have somehow gotten Kurapika's description... Shit. How? They were running towards the hotel... They took longer than the others... Shit, think! How could the mind-reader get Kurapika's description already? Well first, who knew he was a chain user? Us, his friends, the people he worked for, his coworkers, and his teacher. His coworkers were out, but they were heading towards the hotel, so they couldn't have... Melody was with us... But... Squala. The man named Squala Kurapika mentioned. He'd still been here, right? Kurapika had called him to warn him, so he would have left, meaning if they were tracking Squala somehow- yes, that made sense. That's why it took them longer to get here. Poor Squala... I couldn't help but feel like he was dead...

"First thing's first Paku, check these kids again." It was the leader who spoke. So yes, that was the Pakunoda we'd been targeting before. But now we were targeting the boss. We wanted the mind-reader out of the way too, but she'd have to come later. And damn, now she was going to check them again? This was bad...

"OK, What do you want to know?" Pakunoda asked.

"What are they hiding?" Was the simple and fast reply from the leader. Shit.

"Well, there's only one minute left in this week's broadcast," the radio said. One minute until Crisei turned off the power! Damnit! She was already reaching for them, I needed to stall, do something! But what?

No, I couldn't. I might mess everything up. They'd be fine, Gon and Killua were strong and smart. They're get out of this. I just needed to stick playing my part. Yes.

"It's no use," Killua said. "Your power lets you draw out memories from those you touch, right? We aren't hiding anything, and we know no-" He was cut off.

"I'll know the truth soon enough. Shut up." Pakunoda replied.

"Even if we did know something, we could think of something else, and hide it from you," Gon said as well. I could tell he was grabbed too, and furthermore when I looked over, suspicion in my eye.

"Yup, there you go," Killua said.

"You seem to be confused," Pakunoda said. "I draw out the purest essence of human memory. I'm not browsing through the images in your mind. My question will stimulate your memory, stirring up the dirt collected in it's depths like throwing a stone into a pond. The dirt represents your pure, unaltered memories. And I just simply scoop them up. It's impossible to deceive me." I thought about it a second. That was a good analogy. Would it work on me? I thought about it a moment. It was almost seven. just a few more seconds! And then... I could leave. We could all leave. Hopefully.

"I'll see you next week. This is JFN, and it's 7:00 PM," the radio said.

"Now, it's time to ask my question," Pakunoda stated. "What are you hiding?"

Yes. I guess, if I didn't shut down my brain... Under normal circumstances her ability would work on me. But when I shut down and turned myself on autopilot... That so called water in my brain becomes concrete.

My eyes had already closed when the lights went off.

* * *

**This one actually turned out a lot longer than I was expecting! I'm trying to draw them out because of the quotes I have and I'm trying to sync them with the actual HXH episodes. ^^; I hope you're liking them nonetheless... But yeah, here's some action for those of you craving the action sequences. ^^**

**I'm so excited I'm getting these posted so fast! I'm so focused! *^* Though it means I'm putting off other things lol ^^;**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. The poll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. I really appreciate all the votes I've gotten so far and it's really a relief, and honestly I wish I didn't need to keep posting this reminder but the top three are so close, neck and neck, and I want one to be further than the others before I choose it. Thanks!**


	57. Chapter 57

**Alright, so... They weren't actually that short. ^^ Yay! Love you all, enjoy this chapter!**

**havanatitiana - You'll see~ It's actually a great suggestion though. :P**

**Zeladious - Oshietekudasai, you're making me nervous... ^^; And it's fine, I don't mind, I'm just not that fluent... :P**

**BizzyLizy - Yeah~ I noticed. :P Don't expect it much though, I'm working on it day after day atm only taking breaks to check emails and watch occasional videos, eat, sleep, bathroom, I'm barely drawing and not working on much else! I guess I did end up making it my top priority! XD It's also an apology for going on hiatus for so long... ^^; But I do that a lot, binge one thing then go on hiatus and binge another and then another until finally after forever coming back. :P**

* * *

**"I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road." - Stephen Hawking**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Hehehe, they've got guts, right boss? Their sass reminds me of Uvo," the man said. Uvo... A previous member of the Troupe? Late? Retired? I let more people out._

_"That's probably because they're kids," the pink haired ninja said. "They know no fear. Anyways, describe the chain user to us." Wait, what? I immediately stopped my head from spinning to look at them and just barely glanced through my bangs. They already- oh yeah, that blonde must be the mind-reader. And she must have somehow gotten Kurapika's description... Shit. How? They were running towards the hotel... They took longer than the others... Shit, think! How could the mind-reader get Kurapika's description already? Well first, who knew he was a chain user? Us, his friends, the people he worked for, his coworkers, and his teacher. His coworkers were out, but they were heading towards the hotel, so they couldn't have... Melody was with us... But... Squala. The man named Squala Kurapika mentioned. He'd still been here, right? Kurapika had called him to warn him, so he would have left, meaning if they were tracking Squala somehow- yes, that made sense. That's why it took them longer to get here. Poor Squala... I couldn't help but feel like he was dead..._

_"First thing's first Paku, check these kids again." It was the leader who spoke. So yes, that was the Pakunoda we'd been targeting before. But now we were targeting the boss. We wanted the mind-reader out of the way too, but she'd have to come later. And damn, now she was going to check them again? This was bad..._

_"OK, What do you want to know?" Pakunoda asked._

_"What are they hiding?" Was the simple and fast reply from the leader. Shit._

_"Well, there's only one minute left in this week's broadcast," the radio said. One minute until Crisei turned off the power! Damnit! She was already reaching for them, I needed to stall, do something! But what?_

_No, I couldn't. I might mess everything up. They'd be fine, Gon and Killua were strong and smart. They're get out of this. I just needed to stick playing my part. Yes._

_"It's no use," Killua said. "Your power lets you draw out memories from those you touch, right? We aren't hiding anything, and we know no-" He was cut off._

_"I'll know the truth soon enough. Shut up." Pakunoda replied._

_"Even if we did know something, we could think of something else, and hide it from you," Gon said as well. I could tell he was grabbed too, and furthermore when I looked over, suspicion in my eye._

_"Yup, there you go," Killua said._

_"You seem to be confused," Pakunoda said. "I draw out the purest essence of human memory. I'm not browsing through the images in your mind. My question will stimulate your memory, stirring up the dirt collected in it's depths like throwing a stone into a pond. The dirt represents your pure, unaltered memories. And I just simply scoop them up. It's impossible to deceive me." I thought about it a second. That was a good analogy. Would it work on me? I thought about it a moment. It was almost seven. just a few more seconds! And then... I could leave. We could all leave. Hopefully._

_"I'll see you next week. This is JFN, and it's 7:00 PM," the radio said._

_"Now, it's time to ask my question," Pakunoda stated. "What are you hiding?"_

_Yes. I guess, if I didn't shut down my brain... Under normal circumstances her ability would work on me. But when I shut down and turned myself on autopilot... That so called water in my brain becomes concrete._

_My eyes had already closed when the lights went off._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I watched Kurapika toss a small knife back into the building that would impale the pillar holding the floor up. Attached was a hastily written note.

Killua and Gon hadn't managed to escape.

Our group got into the car and Leorio quickly took off. I was stuck between Chrollo and Kurapika.

"Damnit!" If only I had been able to help! I could have done something! But no. My task had been to put up a barrier for Kurapika's sake to help him escape and not be followed. I couldn't make multiple, and I definitely couldn't make one far away from me or out of sight to help the boys. "Damnit!" I said again, though quieter. I noticed Leorio was nervous as well, constantly checking back in the mirrors as we drove on.

"It's OK," Kurapika said. "A number of the enemies were injured. They won't move until reinforcements arrive." I nodded. It made sense. Killua and Gon... Please be safe...

I didn't know what Kurapika had written on the paper but I could make a solid guess. The mind-reader had definitely gotten secrets out of the two. According to the plan we were going to use the leader as a hostage now. So Kurapika must have said the leader would die if Pakunoda said anything.

"What are you looking at?" Kurapika said to the leader of the Troupe.

"Nothing. I didn't expect the chain user to be a woman," he replied. I couldn't help but snicker slightly.

"Did I say that I was? You shouldn't let appearances deceive you." Kurapika eyed me and I shut up, looking straight ahead. "Anyway, you should watch what you say. Since it may be the last thing out of your mouth."

"You won't kill me. You left your precious friends behind," the man who I decided to call Mr. Trenchcoat said.

"I'm not so composed that I will ignore your taunts!" Kurapika yelled back.

"Kurapika!" Leorio said. "That's enough." I nodded.

"Kurapika, calm down and remember the plan," I said softly, watching the red eyed boy. It didn't matter what Mr. Trenchcoat said, the fact remained, Killua and Gon didn't make it out. We had planned for this. It's not like it was unexpected. We would use Mr. Trenchcoat as a hostage and get our friends back. If something happened to them, we'd kill him. Simple as that. And in the position he was in, there was no way Mr. Trenchcoat could escape. He would die.

"The girl's fortune didn't mention this," Mr. Trenchcoat stated, looking forward. "Therefore, this event isn't significant to matter."

"You bastard!" Kurapika said. I glared at him.

"Kurapika!" Melody said.

"If you kill him, I'll kick your ass!" Leorio stated as well. Yes. Because if Kurapika killed him we would no longer have a bargaining chip.

I had to admit, sitting so close, right next to, this man was terrifying. Sure he was in a state of Zetsu because of Kurapika's chains but... It was still terrifying. I was to the point my mind was starting to shut down. Just like with my parents. When I knew I could do nothing. Yes, this was a terrifying experience. I could relate to Kurapika.

"Do you need further explanation?" Mr. Trenchcoat asked. "I consider this situation the same as an afternoon coffee break. A peaceful outing."

I saw the punch coming from a mile away and blocked Kurapika's hand, glaring a bit at him.

"Kurapika, if you insist on letting his words get to you like this then you obviously don't believe in us saving Gon and Killua." Kurapika stared at me for a moment with a grit expression then let down his hand.

"Yeah Kurapika, calm down!" Leorio said, glancing back at us. "We're on equal footing now! Nothing has changed."

"Equal footing? You are sorely mistaken. First of all, you've made the wrong assumption. I have no value as a hostage," Mr. Trenchcoat said. I stared at him with a blank expression. My mind had already shut down. Fear and panic had already taken over my heart and turned my brain to autopilot.

"If you insist on babbling..." Kurapika started, but was cut off my Melody.

"He isn't lying. Everything he says is true," she said.

"There you go," Mr. Trenchcoat said. "This is reality. You people are the ones on the rope." I stared at Melody for explanation.

"What do you mean?" Kurapika said to his colleague.

"His heartbeat is normal," came the reply. "He isn't shaken by any of this. He isn't worried or frightened of death. I can hear that he has accepted death. I can hear that he walks with death every day." Melody looked forward, covering her ears. "How is he capable of producing such a sound? No more! I can't take any more of this! I don't want to listen to you or him or Basil!" My heart produced a sound such as the two males on either side of me? That made Melody cringe?

"Melody..." Kurapika said, calming just slightly. He glanced at me, and I glanced at him. What was that look in his eyes as he looked at me?

"He truly believes that he has no value as a hostage," Melody said. "But the fact remains that he is the leader."

"And that is where I have to cut in," I said. "There is a difference between everything being true and everyone believing something is true. Just because you believe it is true does not mean it is." Kurapika and Mr. Trenchcoat were staring at me. "In fact, he could be believing with all his heart he knows what his precious Troupe will do." I glanced at Mr. Trenchcoat who was staring at me. "But the fact remains he is the leader. He brought everyone together and everyone respects him, trusts him, and believes in him. Sure a new leader can be found, but they'll never replace him. So no, Mr. Trenchcoat, I have to say you are wrong. No matter what ideals your precious Troupe holds that makes you think they will not care that you are a hostage, I must say they still care for you and if I know anything it's that when friends care then they'll do anything to help." A small smile tugged at my lips as I looked back forward. "Even if over half your Troupe decides to do what you want, and the rest want to save you and abandon your ideals, it's the three girls in the back of the room yelling a song to play much louder than the others who just mumble their choices who end up choosing the fate of the classroom."

"You have it wrong, Basil, was it?" Mr. Trenchcoat said, still staring at me. I glanced at him. "They will not put me above the Troupe."

"What are you... What are you people?" Kurapika said.

"The spider," Mr. Trenchcoat replied, looking out the window.

You're wrong, Mr. Trenchcoat, I believe they already have.

* * *

"Five years ago, were you the leader when the troupe slaughtered the Kurta of the scarlet eyes?" Kurapika asked. Mr. Trenchcoat didn't reply. "Answer me!"

"Are those the chains you used to kill Uvo?" He finally asked, watching Kurapika. "What were Uvo's last words?" So Uvo... That Uvo the 'topknot' guy was talking about... Kurapika killed him after all.

"I don't remember," Kurapika replied.

"You're lying. Am I right miss?" Mr. Trenchcoat asked Melody, who didn't respond. Even I could sense the lie from Kurapika's mouth. "I can relate. I feel the same way. I have nothing to say to you."

"Kurapika! He's trying to provoke you! Don't fall for it!" Leorio yelled back.

"I know," Kurapika said, glancing at me. I stared at my adoptive brother for a moment. Was he... Silently thanking me?

He turned towards the window and dialed a number on a phone I assumed came from Mr. Trenchcoat. So it had begun. I glanced at Mr. Trenchcoat who was staring out the window.

"If you really had nothing to say to him you would have just stayed quiet," I said to the leader, who looked at me. "No, I think you wanted to display your distaste to losing a friend and member of the Troupe. Even if you don't realize it yourself." The leader stayed quiet, looking away from me. It seemed my words were getting to him.

"I have three demands," Kurapika said. I glanced over to him. He was talking into the phone. "The general rule is that my demands are absolute. If you don't obey, I will kill your leader immediately. First, do not follow me. Second, do not harm your two hostages. Third, put that Pakunoda woman on the phone." Kurapika was silent a moment, but I couldn't hear what was said on the other side of the phone. When his eyes flashed in anger I knew something was wrong. "Then we're done negotiating." And with that Kurapika put down the phone. I blinked at him. That easy? What had happened?

"What happened?" I asked.

"Apparently Gon and Killua were harmed in the struggle," Kurapika replied. My eyes flashed in anger as well. How dare they! However Kurapika's, or rather Mr. Trenchcoat's, phone immediately rang again and Kurapika put it to his ear.

"What is it?" Kurapika asked. It was clearly the Troupe again. "This is your last chance. Do not fool around. Put Pakunoda on the phone." Of course they were teasing. Idiots. You don't tease someone like Kurapika in this sort of situation! "You are the only one allowed to hear what I have to say. Move away from the others." Clearly Pakunoda was on the phone now. The car was silent for a while as I assumed the Pakunoda lady was moving away. I sighed and stared forward. What was I even doing here? I was just sitting here, acting as a filter between Kurapika and Mr. Trenchcoat so they wouldn't have... Issues. That was all. Besides that I was no use here. I was exausted. I needed to sleep. Rest of some form at least. But not now. Later. "Did you make contact with a man named Squala?" Kurapika paused for a second. "Are you aware of a woman named Melody?" Another pause. "Then this will be quick. Listen carefully. You are forbidden from communicating with your comrades. No talking, gesturing, writing, signalling, or making eye contact. None of that is allowed. You must come alone to the place I designate. If your heart rate changes even in the slightest, I will kill the hostage. Understood? Now give the phone to someone besides the previous man." I smiled. No bullshit, right to the point. That was my Nii-san for you! "I'm going to meet with Pakunoda alone. The rest of you must return to your hideout. All ten Troupe members must be there. If a single one is missing, I will kill the hostage. Understood?" A pause. "Put Pakunoda back on." I continued to watch Kurapika. "You're to come to Lingon Airport. You have until 8:00. And you must come alone."

I smiled.

"See Mr. Trenchcoat? They care about you. You were wrong."

* * *

**Ugh, so I don't know what it is, but my elbow is really raw and flaky, it looks like someone glued salt to it or something, and it really itches and I don't know what to do... I tried lotion but that didn't do anything... Any suggestions?**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. The poll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. I really appreciate all the votes I've gotten so far and it's really a relief, and honestly I wish I didn't need to keep posting this reminder but the top two are tied right now, and I want one to be further than the others before I choose it. Thanks!**

**IF YOU ARE A GUEST AND DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT AND THEREFORE CAN'T VOTE ON THE POLL just leave your choice in a review. I'll mentally add it. :P**


	58. Chapter 58

**Two more chapters after this and Greed Island starts! XD Yay! I have the next four chapters's outlines finished so you can be expecting four more chapters within a bit here, but then they're in Greed Island and I have to remind you I'm planning on going on Hiatus once I get there so... Yeah. Enjoy!**

* * *

**"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent." - Martin Luther King, Jr.**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Five years ago, were you the leader when the troupe slaughtered the Kurta of the scarlet eyes?" Kurapika asked. Mr. Trenchcoat didn't reply. "Answer me!"_

_"Are those the chains you used to kill Uvo?" He finally asked, watching Kurapika. "What were Uvo's last words?" So Uvo... That Uvo the 'topknot' guy was talking about... Kurapika killed him after all._

_"I don't remember," Kurapika replied._

_"You're lying. Am I right miss?" Mr. Trenchcoat asked Melody, who didn't respond. Even I could sense the lie from Kurapika's mouth. "I can relate. I feel the same way. I have nothing to say to you."_

_"Kurapika! He's trying to provoke you! Don't fall for it!" Leorio yelled back._

_"I know," Kurapika said, glancing at me. I stared at my adoptive brother for a moment. Was he... Silently thanking me?_

_He turned towards the window and dialed a number on a phone I assumed came from Mr. Trenchcoat. So it had begun. I glanced at Mr. Trenchcoat who was staring out the window._

_"If you really had nothing to say to him you would have just stayed quiet," I said to the leader, who looked at me. "No, I think you wanted to display your distaste to losing a friend and member of the Troupe. Even if you don't realize it yourself." The leader stayed quiet, looking away from me. It seemed my words were getting to him._

_"I have three demands," Kurapika said. I glanced over to him. He was talking into the phone. "The general rule is that my demands are absolute. If you don't obey, I will kill your leader immediately. First, do not follow me. Second, do not harm your two hostages. Third, put that Pakunoda woman on the phone." Kurapika was silent a moment, but I couldn't hear what was said on the other side of the phone. When his eyes flashed in anger I knew something was wrong. "Then we're done negotiating." And with that Kurapika put down the phone. I blinked at him. That easy? What had happened?_

_"What happened?" I asked._

_"Apparently Gon and Killua were harmed in the struggle," Kurapika replied. My eyes flashed in anger as well. How dare they! However Kurapika's, or rather Mr. Trenchcoat's, phone immediately rang again and Kurapika put it to his ear._

_"What is it?" Kurapika asked. It was clearly the Troupe again. "This is your last chance. Do not fool around. Put Pakunoda on the phone." Of course they were teasing. Idiots. You don't tease someone like Kurapika in this sort of situation! "You are the only one allowed to hear what I have to say. Move away from the others." Clearly Pakunoda was on the phone now. The car was silent for a while as I assumed the Pakunoda lady was moving away. I sighed and stared forward. What was I even doing here? I was just sitting here, acting as a filter between Kurapika and Mr. Trenchcoat so they wouldn't have... Issues. That was all. Besides that I was no use here. I was exausted. I needed to sleep. Rest of some form at least. But not now. Later. "Did you make contact with a man named Squala?" Kurapika paused for a second. "Are you aware of a woman named Melody?" Another pause. "Then this will be quick. Listen carefully. You are forbidden from communicating with your comrades. No talking, gesturing, writing, signalling, or making eye contact. None of that is allowed. You must come alone to the place I designate. If your heart rate changes even in the slightest, I will kill the hostage. Understood? Now give the phone to someone besides the previous man." I smiled. No bullshit, right to the point. That was my Nii-san for you! "I'm going to meet with Pakunoda alone. The rest of you must return to your hideout. All ten Troupe members must be there. If a single one is missing, I will kill the hostage. Understood?" A pause. "Put Pakunoda back on." I continued to watch Kurapika. "You're to come to Lingon Airport. You have until 8:00. And you must come alone."_

_I smiled._

_"See Mr. Trenchcoat? They care about you. You were wrong."_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I stared at the blimps as Leorio pulled the car into the airport and parked. As we got out of the car I looked around in confusion. I'd never seen an airport in person before, but the airports in my world... Were nothing like this. That I knew.

The five of us made our way towards one of the ships where we saw a red-headed Crisei waiting. I smiled as I saw him. It hadn't taken me long to stop panicking, so my brain was no longer on autopilot. Things were still going as planned. We'd accounted for this. Now we just waited. If the Troupe members were smart they'd listen to Kurapika. The Pakunoda lady would arrive and then Kurapika would use his judgment chain to set conditions. What conditions I didn't know, all I knew is that one would be for Killua and Gon to be released to us in exchange for Mr. Trenchcoat. The rest was up to the blonde Kurta. Afterwords...

What would we do? We'd already lost our chance to attack. It seemed like the middle option Melody spoke of was coming more and more true. Although that would mean... One or two might die. Hopefully on the troupe's side. But what if not? If everyone survived this ordeal? I glanced at Kurapika, walking next to me. What are you going to do next Kurapika?

I could tell this was taking a lot out of him. He might not look it to the untrained eye but... I knew. Kura-Nii-san was exhausted, just like me.

A sigh escaped my mouth. "Hey Crisei."

"Hey," the ginger responded, glancing suspiciously at Mr. Trenchcoat. "Ships all ready for you." He jutted his thumb back at the blimp. Kurapika nodded and him, Melody, Mr. Trenchcoat, and I boarded. Leorio and Crisei stayed watch outside, just in case if more than just Pakunoda came... Their Leader would die. Kurapika watched Mr. Trenchcoat while I stared out the window, watching, listening. He soon made another call, putting the phone to his ear once more as I watched carefully.

"Put one of the hostages on the phone," was the first thing Kurapika said. After a second he spoke again. "Are they all together?" There was a bit of a pause before he spoke one last time. "You have thirty minutes to return to your hideout. You can try trickery if you want, but your leader will die. I'll call again shortly." With that the Kurta hung up the phone.

"Is Gon and Killua OK?" I asked, concern in my voice. Kurapika nodded. "Good." I looked back out at the window, keeping an eye out for anything that moved. I continued to stare until a tap on my shoulder brought my attention over to see it was Melody. She motioned for me to follow so I did, making sure to keep an eye on Kurapika and Mr. Trenchcoat in the meantime. Melody brought me over to the far side of the room and leaned in.

"Kurapika wants to know if you are able to place a barrier around the airship, or if that would be too much for you at the moment," she whispered so quietly I almost missed what she'd said.

"I can try," I responded just as quietly. We were being quiet so the Troupe leader didn't hear. "But I don't think I'm quite at that level." Melody nodded then walked back over, giving Kurapika a look which he just sighed and glanced out the window at. I continued to look out the window as well before deciding to attempt it. How big could i make it at the moment? I looked around the room. I'd have to be outside to put the barrier around the ship itself but... I glanced at Kurapika and softly shook my head. He nodded back. I couldn't do what he wanted. Even if I could make a barrier big enough to cover the ship the ship would never be able to take off. There was no point practicing. However I was still curious how big I could make them now, as I hadn't practiced much, but I'd have to wait until after this whole ordeal was over.

I perked up, back straightening as I saw a figure move in the distance. It seemed like Kurapika noticed too. Leorio and Crisei soon saw who I presumed to be Pakunoda arrive, coming closer and closer to the ship.

It was time.

I sighed, sitting by the side, glancing out the window as well as watching the Pakunoda lady who stood on one side of the room and the leader guy who was silenced by Kurapika's chains around his mouth on the other side next to the said Kurta. Melody stood on Kurapika's other side. Unknowingly to the group I had already put my invisible barrier in the middle of the room as a wall to protect them just in case Pakunoda attacked.

"Are you Pakunoda, from the Troupe?" Kurapika asked.

"Of course," Pakunoda replied. Kurapika glanced at Melody.

"She's telling the truth," Melody confirmed. Kurapika nodded and looked back at the woman.

"I will present each of you with two conditions," he said. "If you abide by them, I will release your leader. I'll begin with the leader." He paused, then started to speak slower to let the words sink in more. "First, you are forbidden to use Nen. Second..." He paused. I glanced at Kurapika. Come on, stick with the plan. Calm down. Nii-san, remember! Killua and Gon are top priority right now! "Second, you may not contact any member of the Troupe. Those are the two conditions. And to make certain you adhere to them, I will use my Judgment Chain, the Arbiter Little Finger, on your leader. You decide if that is acceptable, Pakunoda." I glanced back at the woman on the other side of the room. That was smart of Kurapika.

"Okay," Pakunoda replied. After she agreed, Kurapika, like he said, used his chain on Mr. Trenchcoat to bind him to that agreement.

"You're next, Pakunoda," Kurapika continued. "First, release Gon and Killua unharmed, before midnight, without any tricks." I nodded. Yes. That was the main goal of this exchange. "Second, you may not speak a single word about me. If you have no objections, I will use my chain on you."

"Okay," Pakunoda said again. I had to release my barrier then as Kurapika's chain would not have been able to reach Pakunoda if it had stayed up. However after Kurapika had finished binding Pakunoda I immediately put it back up. It wasn't that I didn't trust everyone's words would be kept, it was just a cautionary thing. Kurapika turned to whisper things to Melody but I continued to watch the seemingly unphased Pakunoda. She seemed just as drained as Kurapika...

"I have something to say before the exchange," Kurapika started. In fact, Pakunoda seemed overly accepting of the circumstances. She was honestly just like us. I'd been right, she cared for the leader, and she would do anything to save him. It didn't matter about her safety, she only cared about her leader, her friend. Yes. She was exhausted and just wanted this whole ordeal over, for her leader to be returned and for things to go back to normal. She was tired of fighting. "Start by returning to your companions," Kurapika finished. "Inform them of the hostage exchange. I want you to bring the hostages to Lington Airport before midnight. Bring no one else. Tell no one where you're going."

"Very well," Pakunoda replied. "You have a deal. Take me back to the airport."

"Why haven't you asked any questions?" Kurapika asked, somewhat suspicious. "You know who I am, don't you? Aren't you worried? Don't you find this deal unreasonable? Do you truly believe I'll return your leader?"

"Yes," came the reply. "I wouldn't ask those questions if you intended to deceive me." And with that the lady disappeared into the neighboring cabin. Kurapika, Melody, Mr. Trenchcoat, and I all went into the room on our side. I left the barrier up just in case. If anyone touched it I'd feel it, and feel their intentions.

"Kurapika..." The blonde looked at me. "The truth is she cares for her leader. She believes you'll keep your word because she'll keep hers. She's tired and wants to stop fighting. She sees you only want to protect your friends, and she can relate. I think... I think that is why she was so compliant." Kurapika nodded.

"Yeah..." He sat down next to me.

"Hey, it'll be fine. Gon and Killua are probably having some kind of deep talk with the Troupe right now." I smiled, but it was a weak smile. "Yeah... That sounds like something they'd do..."

Kurapika nodded. "Yeah."

It wasn't long until we touched down and Pakunoda left and I was able to release my cautionary barrier, and Leorio and Crisei once more kept an eye out. And we waited. A yawn escaped my mouth and I soon found myself leaning against Kurapika and falling asleep.

* * *

"Ugh..." A heaviness was on my chest and something was tickling my face. I swatted my hand in front of my face as my eyes opened, swatting away long dreadlocks that lead to a slightly tanned face that was inches from mine.

"Girly wakes."

"Agh!" I pushed the boy off me, sending him to the other side of the alleyway within a second. I sat up, red faced as my arms crossed over my chest which his hands had almost been on. "What the heck?!"

"Girly was out like a light." Derek replied, making a small whistling sound as his pointer finger imitated a spiral falling motion. "Derek was concerned. Girly sleep deeply."

"I already told you, my name is Basil!"

"Derek's name is Derek."

"I know!"

"Girly never call Derek Derek so Derek never call Girly Basil."

"Whatever." I realized this true though, I hadn't called him by his name aloud.

"Girly teach Derek magic now?"

"Anything happen while I was out?"

"Nope! Girly teach Derek magic now?"

"... Maybe."

"Girly promised!" I thought a moment. I was not at all experienced at this. There was the two methods, and I doubted the natural method would work. I'd have to do the deliberate method, but I didn't know how that'd work... It was dangerous... And really, it took me a while to get everything down.

"It might hurt. And you could die."

"Derek strong!"

"No, I could end up killing you, and if I don't, you'll kill yourself if you don't get it under control..."

"Derek... Derek will be fine." He smiled at me. "Derek don't got much else." I frowned. He was just like me. He didn't have anything. He needed this magic to be able to... To be able to feel something. To feel like he could do something. That he was worth something.

"Fine."

* * *

**Sorry for the end being rushed there, I didn't really have much more to say but decided I'd add a bit more Basil in her world. To lengthen it a bit I guess. Who likes Derek? I like the mentally unstable like him, they're fun. :P But SPOILER he's the linchpin for Basil's relationship with Killua. And... I might actually add a kiss scene or two at some point... But it'll be no earlier than near the end of the Greed Island Arc depending on what happens during, BUT AGAIN:**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. The poll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. I really appreciate all the votes I've gotten so far and it's really a relief, and honestly I wish I didn't need to keep posting this reminder but the top two are tied right now, and I want one to be further than the others before I choose it. Thanks!**

**IF YOU ARE A GUEST AND DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT AND THEREFORE CAN'T VOTE ON THE POLL just leave your choice in a review. I'll mentally add it. :P**


	59. Chapter 59

**One more chapter after this and Greed Island starts! XD Yay! Enjoy~!**

**Yeah, I'm sorry, but I'm getting anxious to advance Basil and Killua's relationship. So I'm going to start focusing on that a bit more. You're all welcome! XD**

**Paprika11 - I was actually halfway through with this chapter when you said that lol, don't worry, I am hurrying~ I should have this chapter up sometime today at this rate and the next two before this week ends. Unless I start procrastinating again. :P But I'm not planning to... But yes, there'll be more Derek moments. Not many, but a couple. And (SPOILER) there'll be a sequel and I'm planning on Derek being in that one a lot. ^^ So he won't be gone for long.**

**Sketch Drawers - Yes, however there's a difference between not being able to sleep and just not being able to transfer worlds. Depending on which one wins next few chapters will determine how the arc is written. Plus the poll doesn't show guest poll votes so... The number on each choice isn't really accurate. :P But you might be onto something~! I won't tell you if you are right, you'll have to see~ And that's good. That you're thinking into this. ^^ That makes me feel happy.**

**havanatitiana - Thanks for the suggestion! I'll DEFINITELY think about it, that sounds like a cool idea. ^^ We'll see what happens when I get there!**

**Zeladious - Thanks. :P Yes, by, thanks for catching that! And I want to know why you're hiding in corners and acting shifty... T^T It making meh nervous and scared you has something evil planned...**

**Crystal-fairy-hime - That's actually a really smart idea! XD She does have a phone that can act like a camera, but... Unfortunately- WAIT. I HAS BRILLIANT IDEA THANK YOU, YOU JUST HELPED KILLUA AND BASIL'S RELATIONSHIP GROW. XD I WILL ADD IT YES.**

* * *

**"Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have." - Margaret Mead**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Ugh..." A heaviness was on my chest and something was tickling my face. I swatted my hand in front of my face as my eyes opened, swatting away long dreadlocks that lead to a slightly tanned face that was inches from mine._

_"Girly wakes."_

_"Agh!" I pushed the boy off me, sending him to the other side of the alleyway within a second. I sat up, red faced as my arms crossed over my chest which his hands had almost been on. "What the heck?!"_

_"Girly was out like a light." Derek replied, making a small whistling sound as his pointer finger imitated a spiral falling motion. "Derek was concerned. Girly sleep deeply."_

_"I already told you, my name is Basil!"_

_"Derek's name is Derek."_

_"I know!"_

_"Girly never call Derek Derek so Derek never call Girly Basil."_

_"Whatever." I realized this true though, I hadn't called him by his name aloud._

_"Girly teach Derek magic now?"_

_"Anything happen while I was out?"_

_"Nope! Girly teach Derek magic now?"_

_"... Maybe."_

_"Girly promised!" I thought a moment. I was not at all experienced at this. There was the two methods, and I doubted the natural method would work. I'd have to do the deliberate method, but I didn't know how that'd work... It was dangerous... And really, it took me a while to get everything down._

_"It might hurt. And you could die."_

_"Derek strong!"_

_"No, I could end up killing you, and if I don't, you'll kill yourself if you don't get it under control..."_

_"Derek... Derek will be fine." He smiled at me. "Derek don't got much else." I frowned. He was just like me. He didn't have anything. He needed this magic to be able to... To be able to feel something. To feel like he could do something. That he was worth something._

_"Fine."_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I yawned as my eyes fluttered open. I looked around and it took me a moment to realize Kurapika had moved me to a comfier position and we were now back in the air. But... That meant... We were almost ready to do the exchange.

I immediately sat up and went to go find Kurapika, who was standing with the others in the flight deck. He turned to look at me as I got closer. Oh, Basil, you're awake." I nodded as he looked back forward. "We're almost there. Come on." I nodded happily. Finally! Killua and Gon... Damn this night was hectic!

Our small group went to the unloading area and waited until the blimp landed, then got off and faced towards the other side where Pakunoda and the two boys stood. As well as... Hisoka. I glanced over at Kurapika but he didn't seem too fazed, so I looked back forward, cautious, and ready to fight if something happened.

Kurapika dialed a number on the phone then listened and waited until it was received on the other side. "Killua, place the phone next to your heart," Kurapika said. I glanced at Kurapika for a moment, but understood when Melody placed it to her own ear. She was listening for an irregularity in his heartbeat.

"It's fine, nothing's wrong with him," Melody said, handing the phone back to the Kurta.

"I'd hope not..." I mumbled. Melody smiled at me.

"Okay, let's begin the exchange!" Kurapika yelled out, hanging up the phone. The unchained Phantom Troupe leader and Killua and Gon started walking forward on either side of the large rock we were on, walking towards their respected sides.

"You know Basil..." I glanced at Melody. "We never got to speak much."

"Oh... Yeah, things went by so fast..." Melody nodded at my remark as she stared at the boys coming closer. "You know, Killua told me a lot about you."

"He did?" I asked, glancing back at her.

"Yup," She replied with a nod and a smile. "He really seems to care for you."

"That's what friends do," I replied with a smile, looking back at the boys who were almost to us. "We care for each other."

"Oh, no, he clearly cared for you more than just a friend," Melody said with a slight chuckle. A blush came to my cheeks as I went to retaliate but the two ex-hostages had gotten to us. Gon and Leorio gave each other high fives, and Crisei gave him a fist bump. I stared at Killua with a grin.

"Killua! I'm so glad you're-" However I was cut off as the silver-haired ex-assassin pulled me into a hug. "Killua?"

"I'm just glad you weren't captured as well," he said. My heart skipped a beat and I glanced at Melody, who just smiled.

"Hmph, I'm more durable than that," I said in embarrassed anger. "But thanks." As the two of us broke our group got back in the blimp to take off, however before the doors closed I looked back to see Hisoka and Mr. Trenchcoat facing off against each other.

As we got into the lobby and sat in the room together Kurapika and Leorio stared out the window, while Crisei and Gon spoke with each other and I sat next to Melody to complain about what she'd said before.

"You're joking," I said, glancing over to see Killua had gone over to Gon and Crisei.

"I am not," Melody replied with a smile. "I could hear it in his heart as he talked about you."

"No one would like me like that though. I'm just... I'm not the type of person who can be put in that situation. I'll never find someone like that to.. To..." I couldn't say it. My face reddened again.

"You will, I'm sure," Melody said, starting over to Kurapika and Leorio.

"Hisoka returned to the airship without fighting," Leorio said as I got over to them. I looked out the window to see that was indeed the case.

"The leader realized Hisoka wasn't a Troupe member, so he explained about my chains," Kurapika responded, continuing to watch. "I'm not surprised that Hisoka wasn't interested in fighting someone without Nen."

"He wasn't a Troupe member?" Leorio asked. That made sense. Why Kurapika was allied with him, and why Kurapika wasn't much phased when Hisoka hadn't stayed behind at the Troupe's hideout.

"No," Kurapika responded.

"But now he's not a threat, right?" Crisei asked as him and the two boys came over.

"No," Kurapika said again. "I'm sorry for putting you in danger…" I watched Kurapika. The fatigue was getting to him, I could tell. He was exhausted from this entire ordeal and needed rest, he was so pale...

"You used your chains on the boss, right?" Gon asked.

"Yeah, but… This isn't the end," Kurapika said. As I saw his eyes start to droop and his legs give way I immediately went to use my own body as leverage to catch the fainting Kurta.

"Ack!"

"Kurapika!"

"Here, I got him."

"Let's bring him over here to rest."

"Poor guy..."

* * *

I stared at Kurapika who laid on a hotel bed, breathing heavily, wet rag on his forehead, pale faced and clearly sick with a fever. Poor thing...

I changed out his rag, dabbing his face caringly before letting him rest more.

"I hope Kurapika's fever doesn't break," Gon said, staring at the said Kurta. I quickly glared at the boy.

"Yeah," Killua said, then blinked in surprised at the boy. "Wait, did you just say what I think you said?"

"Kurapika shouldn't fight the Troupe anymore," Gon said in reply, explaining. "I thought of something when Kurapika told me about his powers. If he'd just wanted revenge, he would have chosen different abilities."

"Really?" Killua said back, thinking about it. My glare softened. Yeah, I got that feeling too...

"Yeah, that's what I realized as well..." I added in with a sigh as I wiped some of the Kurta's blonde hair out of his face. When I looked back at the two boys Killua was eyeing me with a look, which I just returned with a stare of confusion. Did I do something wrong?

"If he'd only wanted to kill them, he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of chaining their hearts," Gon finished. Killua finally broke his gaze staring at me and glanced at Gon.

"Maybe if he only had one target," Killua said. "But Kurapika's dealing with the entire troupe. Even if he captures one, he can't kill them right away. And he needs to extract information about the other members."

"Oh…" Gon said, thinking a bit.

"That makes sense too..." I sighed, looking back at the Kurta, then back at my friends. Killua was eyeing me again, and this time I glared right back. What? Was I doing or saying something wrong? Did he hate me? Wait, he probably hated me for some reason. What did I do? Was it something I said? Or maybe he didn't hate me, maybe it was something else? What could it be?

"Personally, I think his powers were meant specifically for revenge," Killua continued, barely glancing at Gon. "But you do have a point. I'd prefer him to stay still for a while. If he starts moving around now, he'll faint mid-battle or before that. It'll be too dangerous."

"Agreed," I said. "In fact I also agree with Gon. I don't think he should fight them anymore. He should just focus on recovering his bretheren's eyes right now."

"Yeah, but if their boss doesn't come back, they'll be even more determined to find Kurapika," Killua put in, breaking his gaze on me to look at Kurapika. "We'll have to be extremely careful when we go to the auction house."

"Oh yeah. The auction," Gon said, remembering.

"Oh yeah!" I said. "Killua, the items from my world, I got 5 billion jenny from!" The two flung to look at me.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?!" Killua yelled, playfully attacking me. Gon joined in, chasing me around the room. I ran for my dear life.

"You told me to wait! We were busy! And then you just had to get kidnapped!"

"That wasn't our fault!"

"So?!"

* * *

"No, no, it's still leaking. Come on, you got to relax."

"Derek is relaxing!"

"Clearly not..." I sighed. I was a horrible teacher. I'd managed to open up his nodes but now it was just leaking everywhere. If he didn't get it under control then-

"There! Derek do it!"

"Nope, it's still leaking..."

"Girly lie!"

"I'm not lying..." I sighed, glancing at the time. I didn't have long here but I'd promised Derek when I woke back up I'd help him 'attain magic' as he called it. So I opened his nodes. Now I had to help teach him to get it under control or else he'd-

"Derek's tired..."

"Idiot, that's because it's still leaking out! Remember, try to imagine yourself surrounded by a nice warm blanket, or floating... On the... Ocean..." I hesitated there for a moment, then sighed. "Just something surrounding you, making you feel relaxed. Ten is something that once attained will make you feel so much stronger! It's like... Feeling protected for the first time. Like nothing in the world can hurt you. Like you have a friend that's always holding you tight so no one can ever harm you..."

"Oh... What's Ten?"

I face-palmed. "I just explained-"

"Oh it's what the magic is called, right? Why would you name magic after a number?" I sighed once more.

"I didn't name it, that's the name it came with."

"Oh, like a puppy!" I stared at Derek.

".. Yes. Like a puppy." I was already tired dealing with this boy, but I'd promised. And I couldn't just leave him like-

"Like a puppy, got it!" I stared at Derek, who was successfully using Ten now.

"What...?"

"Ten is like a puppy! Girly said so! Like a puppy who'd just found a new friend!" I chuckled. That idiot.

Derek flung his arm around my shoulder and I stared at him in surprise as he stared at my beetle phone. "Oh, what's that?"

"It's a phone."

"Derek's never seen a phone like that before!"

"That's because it's special."

"Special?" Derek stared at it before snatching it out of my hands and staring at it.

"Hey, give it back!"

"Derek likes this phone."

"If I could I'd let you have it but my fr-" I paused, stopping dancing around the dodging boy and glancing away from him. "I'd probably get in trouble if I didn't have it."

"Cheese!" Derek flung an arm around my neck again, grinning as he looked at the phone which he held out with his other hand. I stared at the phone with a slightly surprised look, cheeks pink as the side of his face was pressed up against mine. A flash came and he happily looked at it after it dimmed, nearly bouncing, almost losing his hold on the Ten, before showing me. "Look!"

I stared at it a moment before a small smile crept onto my face and a small chuckle escaped my throat for a split second.

"Idiot..."

* * *

**For those of you wanting a little jealous romance make sure to thank Crystal-fairy-hime for the suggestion with the photo! XD **

**Also I'll give a special prize to anyone who draws that photo for me. :P I don't know, I just really want to see it and I can't draw it right now. :P**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. The poll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. I really appreciate all the votes I've gotten so far and it's really a relief, and honestly I wish I didn't need to keep posting this reminder but the top two are tied right now, and I want one to be further than the others before I choose it. Thanks!**

**IF YOU ARE A GUEST AND DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT AND THEREFORE CAN'T VOTE ON THE POLL just leave your choice in a review. I'll mentally add it. :P**


	60. Chapter 60

**And Greed Island starts next chapter officially! XD Yay!**

**I'm sorry this one took a lot longer, I had half the chapter written and for some reason Fanfiction decided to log me out somehow so when I saved I lost everything... T^T I got pretty upset at it. A while ago I would have thrown the computer at the wall lol, if anyone remembers that. I had so many times I had to go on hiatus to fix my computer or borrow other's computers lol But yeah... That's why this one took me longer.**

**For this chapter enjoy a little quote from Basil herself!**

* * *

**"Change is inevitable. It's something that's always there; in everything you say and do. There's no way to exist without changing something, whether it be for better or for worse." - Basil Castus**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Derek's tired..."_

_"Idiot, that's because it's still leaking out! Remember, try to imagine yourself surrounded by a nice warm blanket, or floating... On the... Ocean..." I hesitated there for a moment, then sighed. "Just something surrounding you, making you feel relaxed. Ten is something that once attained will make you feel so much stronger! It's like... Feeling protected for the first time. Like nothing in the world can hurt you. Like you have a friend that's always holding you tight so no one can ever harm you..."_

_"Oh... What's Ten?"_

_I face-palmed. "I just explained-"_

_"Oh it's what the magic is called, right? Why would you name magic after a number?" I sighed once more._

_"I didn't name it, that's the name it came with."_

_"Oh, like a puppy!" I stared at Derek._

_".. Yes. Like a puppy." I was already tired dealing with this boy, but I'd promised. And I couldn't just leave him like-_

_"Like a puppy, got it!" I stared at Derek, who was successfully using Ten now._

_"What...?"_

_"Ten is like a puppy! Girly said so! Like a puppy who'd just found a new friend!" I chuckled. That idiot._

_Derek flung his arm around my shoulder and I stared at him in surprise as he stared at my beetle phone. "Oh, what's that?"_

_"It's a phone."_

_"Derek's never seen a phone like that before!"_

_"That's because it's special."_

_"Special?" Derek stared at it before snatching it out of my hands and staring at it._

_"Hey, give it back!"_

_"Derek likes this phone."_

_"If I could I'd let you have it but my fr-" I paused, stopping dancing around the dodging boy and glancing away from him. "I'd probably get in trouble if I didn't have it."_

_"Cheese!" Derek flung an arm around my neck again, grinning as he looked at the phone which he held out with his other hand. I stared at the phone with a slightly surprised look, cheeks pink as the side of his face was pressed up against mine. A flash came and he happily looked at it after it dimmed, nearly bouncing, almost losing his hold on the Ten, before showing me. "Look!"_

_I stared at it a moment before a small smile crept onto my face and a small chuckle escaped my throat for a split second._

_"Idiot..."_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I sighed as I listened to Killua explain Gon's plan to me in short. I'd been asleep when Gon had explained his plan before. The two had waited for me, letting me sleep, but I had slept overtime thanks to me having to teach Derek to control his Ten.

Man I hope he was still doing it...

"I'm sorry!" I said, hanging my head in shame. "I was just super busy..."

"I already told you to stop!" Killua replied in slight frustration. "We get it!"

"I'm still sorry..."

"Then don't do it again!"

"Yes, Killua," I replied, not meeting his gaze. Killua huffed.

"Seriously Basil, it's not that big a deal. It happens." I nodded.

It wasn't long until we reached the auction house. I was fine with the plan and actually thought it a good idea... At first. It wasn't long until I started having second thoughts...

As I stood in the dressing room string at the dress the boys had picked out for me to look proper I balked. There was no way in HELL I'd wear that! I quickly stomped over to the room Gon and Killua were in and knocked on the door. "What the hell! I'm NOT wearing this!" The door opened to show Killua, shirtless and in his tuxedo pants. My face turned red and I quickly glanced away. "I mean, really..."

"Sorry, but it was the best they had for something like this and I thought it'd look good on you," Killua replied. "Plus we were short on funds since we couldn't access your 5 billion jenny," he added with slight bitterness. "And you were asleep so it wasn't like you could give your opinion." I glared slightly at him but quickly looked away.

"Put on a shirt."

"Sorry, you're the one who bothered us in the middle of us dressing." I sighed.

"Well I'm not wearing this thing," I said, shoving the black dress with hints of white in his direction. As he didn't take it I threw it at him. "Oh, this too." I tossed the red ribbon at him as well. In a huff I started away.

"You can't go in dressed like that," Killua said, staring out at my fleeting figure. I paused. He was right. My current outfit... I wouldn't be able to get in there like this. I'd have to wear something...

"Ne, Killua. Can you fix my tie?" I heard Gon yell from the room.

"I told you to get a clip on," Killua replied, looking back in.

"Eh! But…" Gon trailed off. Killua sighed as he went back into the room to help his friend. I went back to the door, staring in, watching them.

"Fine, I'll wear it, but I'm borrowing a jacket from one of you!"

"OK," Killua responded, a small smirk on his lips. That look... Worried me. I took the outfit and went back to my room, pulling it on with grumbles. I was so getting him back for this! It wasn't that I was uncomfortable in a dress, it was just... All the scars...

I was still self-conscious about the abuse I'd gone through. The bruises were gone but most of the scars remained. And this dress showed off a lot of them.

I was tying the red sash around my waist when a knock came to the door. I looked up.

"Yo, you dressed?" Killua asked through the door. I panicked. Yes, I was, but, but... "I'm coming in!"

"Eek!" No! Don't!" However the door opened anyways and Killua came in, followed by Gon who was scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"I tried to stop him," Gon said.

I backed up a step, almost tripping on the end of the dress, then placed a hand forward. Whatever, he was here, there wasn't much I could do. "Well? Jacket."

"We don't have an extra," Killua replied, eyes looking me over. "Nice figure." My face turned a brilliant shade of red.

"You promised!" I eyed him a second before attempting to take his jacket from him. "I can't go out there like this! Let me borrow your jacket!"

"No! It's my jacket!"

"Please!"

"No!"

"Basil... you can borrow my jacket..."

"No Gon, don't fall for it!"

"Fall for it?" I glared at Killua. "I can't believe it! You're so insensitive!"

"Insensitive?" Killua asked, eyes wide.

"Yes! How could you?" He stared at me a moment. It took me a second to realize tears were forming in my eyes. "Damnit..."

"Basil..."

"Here Basil!" Gon said, nearly shoving his jacket in my face. "I understand. You can use my jacket. I don't need it, really." He smiled. Killua shifted his gaze from me.

"Sorry... I forgot..." I shook my head at Killua.

"No, it's fine," I replied. "I'm just overly selfish I guess..."

"You're not selfish at all!" Gon exclaimed. I looked at him. "You just wanted to hide your scars, right?" I nodded. "It's no biggie!"

"I'm sorry we're putting you through this... Basil..."

* * *

I still felt uncomfortable in the outfit I had on but there wasn't much I could do. Crisei, in a goodbye attempt as he'd had enough of the action and wanted to go home and study up on the Nen I'd told him about, had helped me apply makeup to hide the few scars that were visible so I didn't have to wear my wrappings.

The three of us joined Zepile as we were ready and started along the halls of the building to the auction.

"The auction is in Hall B," Gon said.

"The hall's down there," Killua replied pointing.

"Wow!" Gon said.

"Wow is right..." I'd never seen a place like this... So many people everywhere, all dressed nicely... Damn.

I never want to come to one of these again.

Gon and Killua made their way down the stairs to get down lower, me right behind them. These shoes too that they'd picked... How did one walk in them?! I mean it wasn't too difficult, it just... I couldn't imagine wearing these often... My feet would die!

Seconds later however, Killua and Gon were taking off back the way we'd come from, Killua dragging me with them.

"Why are they here?" Gon said.

"How would I know?!" Killua responded.

"Hey! What are you-" I stopped as I saw someone appear in front of us. Wait. I didn't recognise him personally but... I glanced behind us with Gon and Killua to see another, the blonde and black haired men cornering us.

They must be Phantom Troupe members...

"Hey, that was cold. No need to run away," the blonde behind us said.

"Don't worry. We're not going to kill you," the black haired one continued.

"Because we can't kill the chain user now," the blonde finished.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Gon asked. Did they find out about the chains somehow? That'd be the only thing that'd make sense as to why they'd say that... But it relieved me.

"Huh? Didn't he use his chains on the boss?" The blonde asked. "That means we can't kill him."

"Why not?" Gon asked. "Isn't it the other way around?"

"Nen doesn't necessarily disappear after death," The blonde answered. "Nen that's driven by hatred and regret can persist a long time after death. That Nen will direct itself toward the target of those emotions. Since the boss can no longer use Nen, he could be overwhelmed by that assault. Residual Nen can be quite fearsome. That's why we can't kill the chain user. So, we're done with you kids. We just came to enjoy the auction. The other members wanted to go home." Meteor City... That's where they went... The two phantom troupe members started back to the aucton. But wait. If they knew about the chains then... The boss was still alive so he couldn't have told them. Hisoka wouldn't. Pakunoda couldn't without dying... So... Someone was used as a mediator maybe? Would that work?

"Um, what happened to Pakunoda-san?" Gon asked. The two paused, looking back.

"She died," the blonde responded. A frown found its way to my lips. So I was wrong. The Pakunoda lady really did care for her friends more than herself. She wanted them to understand. Even if it meant losing her life.

"Oh…" Gon mumbled, eyes falling to the floor.

"Let's go," Killua said, starting to pull Gon and I out of there.

"Paku… Wanted to thank you," the blonde said, making Gon pause. I paused as well. Damn... What the hell happened? I knew there's be loss of life but... I didn't expect it to be like this...

We soon met back up with Zepile in silence, sitting in a good spot to see our target.

"There's your target," Zepile said, pointing slightly. The three of us followed his direction to see the man we were here to see. "The tycoon, Mr. Battera."

We made sure to keep an eye on the man until the game we were here for showed.

"Our next item is the legendary game, Greed Island!"

* * *

**Anyone want to draw Basil in that dress? I'll give a prize to them as well. :P Sorry this chapter was so short...**

**REMINDER! I have a poll on my profile about the Greed Island Arc, I wanted to know your all opinions. The poll be up until the GI Arc starts, and I'll be reminding people until I get a decent amount of votes. I really appreciate all the votes I've gotten so far and it's really a relief, and honestly I wish I didn't need to keep posting this reminder but the top two are tied right now, and I want one to be further than the others before I choose it. Thanks!**

**IF YOU ARE A GUEST AND DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT AND THEREFORE CAN'T VOTE ON THE POLL just leave your choice in a review. I'll mentally add it. :P**


	61. Chapter 61

**The start of Greed Island! Though I'm going to warn you guys again, once they get into the game I'm going on Hiatus again... But hey, this chapter and the next are long!**

**Paprika11 - Wow, thanks! XD I'm glad you like Derek, me too, but unfortunately I think he's only going to be in two more chapters... Maybe three or four if I'm feeling generous. However after's a different story. XD But hey, I'm trying to get them all out! Just give me time lol And thanks for the suggestion, we'll see what happens! ^^**

**havanatitiana - Me too! ^^**

**Zeladious - You know what? Nevermind. -_- **

* * *

**"I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun." - Charles R. Swindoll**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Hey, that was cold. No need to run away," the blonde behind us said._

_"Don't worry. We're not going to kill you," the black haired one continued._

_"Because we can't kill the chain user now," the blonde finished._

_"Huh? What do you mean?" Gon asked. Did they find out about the chains somehow? That'd be the only thing that'd make sense as to why they'd say that... But it relieved me._

_"Huh? Didn't he use his chains on the boss?" The blonde asked. "That means we can't kill him."_

_"Why not?" Gon asked. "Isn't it the other way around?"_

_"Nen doesn't necessarily disappear after death," The blonde answered. "Nen that's driven by hatred and regret can persist a long time after death. That Nen will direct itself toward the target of those emotions. Since the boss can no longer use Nen, he could be overwhelmed by that assault. Residual Nen can be quite fearsome. That's why we can't kill the chain user. So, we're done with you kids. We just came to enjoy the auction. The other members wanted to go home." Meteor City... That's where they went... The two phantom troupe members started back to the aucton. But wait. If they knew about the chains then... The boss was still alive so he couldn't have told them. Hisoka wouldn't. Pakunoda couldn't without dying... So... Someone was used as a mediator maybe? Would that work?_

_"Um, what happened to Pakunoda-san?" Gon asked. The two paused, looking back._

_"She died," the blonde responded. A frown found its way to my lips. So I was wrong. The Pakunoda lady really did care for her friends more than herself. She wanted them to understand. Even if it meant losing her life._

_"Oh…" Gon mumbled, eyes falling to the floor._

_"Let's go," Killua said, starting to pull Gon and I out of there._

_"Paku… Wanted to thank you," the blonde said, making Gon pause. I paused as well. Damn... What the hell happened? I knew there's be loss of life but... I didn't expect it to be like this..._

_We soon met back up with Zepile in silence, sitting in a good spot to see our target._

_"There's your target," Zepile said, pointing slightly. The three of us followed his direction to see the man we were here to see. "The tycoon, Mr. Battera."_

_We made sure to keep an eye on the man until the game we were here for showed._

_"Our next item is the legendary game, Greed Island!"_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I watched with wide eyes as the price of the game shot up to three times it's starting price within the first few seconds. Holy fudge this was insane!

I listened to Killua as he explained what all the gestures meant and started laughing as Gon put his thumb up to ask Killua if he was doing it right and the price doubled again. Poor Gon. I looked back down at the stage, watching, everyone in the hall's voices blending to one and droning on. I yawned. It was actually kind of hypnotizing...

I decided to look at my phone. There wasn't too much I could do with it but I could take pictures. Derek had made me realize that. I didn't know how he found the photo option with the phone being in the language of this world, but he did.

The two boys froze as they heard a click, and turned to look at me.

"Did you just... Take a picture of us?" Killua asked.

"Yeah, you two are funny and so I thought it'd be worthwhile to get some memories," I responded. Killua looked over to see but when I went to show him he grabbed the phone out of my hand. "Hey!"

He snapped a picture of me with it and I frowned.

"To commemorate this dress." I stuck my tongue out at him and he took another picture, then looked at them, grinning. His grin soon faltered and turned into a frown. "Who's that?" He held out the phone and I stared at the screen before snatching it back from him.

"Derek."

"Who's Derek?" Killua continued to ask, eyes narrowing.

"He's a new friend of mine from my world. He's watching over me while I'm here."

"I don't like it."

"Huh?"

"I don't like him," Killua repeated. "Do I have to say it again?"

"Come on, give him a break," I said, putting the phone in my pocket. "He doesn't have much, and sure he's a little crazy but he's nice..."

"You talk as though you like him." My face flushed at that.

"No, I mean, I can't... I couldn't possibly ever get in a relationship with anyone..." I messed with my hair that had been curled and pinned to the side. "Anyways, no one would ever like someone like me..."

"I like you!" I immediately looked at Killua in surprise, who realized what he said. "I-I mean, as a friend! Because that's what friends do, right? Yeah..."

"What our dear friend Killua is trying to say is he really likes you and doesn't want to see you close to anyone else," Zepile said, leaning in with a grin, having been eavesdropping on our conversation.

"Hey!" Killua pounced on Zepile. I just stared at them, then started to chuckle.

No, I don't think so Zepile... Killua was a friend. He wouldn't- I mean... He just- I wasn't that pretty. I was covered in scars. I wasn't even- No, I wasn't someone anyone could end up loving... Both you and Melody were wrong...

But then why was it I felt like I was only trying to convince myself that?

* * *

I stared at the man in front of us with the bodyguards around him. I was so nervous... We'd finally stopped him and gotten his attention in this room and here he was, giving us weird looks.

"Um, we're Hunters," Gon said.

"We're willing to help clear Greed Island," Killua continued. The men laughed in disbelief.

"We're not joking! We're pro Hunters!" Gon yelled.

"Do you have a license?" The man labled as Mr. Battera asked.

"Yes!" Gon said. I nodded as well.

"Er, Gon... You sold it, remember?"

"Oh yeah..." I sighed. I'd forgotten about that too...

"See… They're lying." One of the guards said.

"Wait, I have mine!" I quickly pulled it out of my pocket. Yes, it was still here.

"Well it looks like you might be telling the truth... And the fact that you're here means you're certainly not ordinary," Mr. Battera said. "However, I can't blindly accept everything you say. I am indeed hiring Hunters in order to clear this game, but I cannot hire you at this time. Because there can only be so many players."

"There can only be so many players?" Gon repeated. I stared at Mr. Battera. What even was this Greed Island anyways? It didn't sound like anything I'd heard of before... It worried me... What was this feeling of pressure coming from my chest that told me not to do this?

"Each memory card only has the capacity to store one player's data," Mr. Battera continued to explain. "With multitaps, you can have a maximum of eight players per console."

"Oh, right. That Greed Island save used up all thirty blocks on that memory card," Gon said, seeming to remember. I stared at Gon in wonder. Had he played this before?

"How did you know that?!" Mr. Battera said in wonder, mirroring the question in my own head.

"We have a Greed Island save file," Gon explained. My eyes narrowed slightly. Why didn't they tell me this before?

"Have you played the game before?" Mr. Battera asked.

"No, we only have a memory card," Gon replied.

"If that memory card is real, you would need another item to remove the card from the console," Battera mused.

"That must be…" Killua started.

"The ring!" Both said at once. I just stared at then in confusion.

Why...? They wanted my help and I wanted to help them but...

Oh yes, I remembered it now. They'd talked briefly to Leorio and I about it. I hadn't thought much about it at the time however... Now it seemed like I should have gotten better clarification. I might have had a better idea about what I was going to get into...

It wasn't long until another man who looked more important than the guards came in to check us out. They said his name was Tsezgerra.

"I assume you know Nen," the man named Tsezgerra said. "Show me your Ren."

"Yes!" The three of us said, activating our Ren.

"Well?" Mr. Battera asked.

"It's hopeless," Tsezgerra said after a second. "Letting them play would be a waste of time. They'd run around in circles until they died."

"How can you be certain when we haven't tried?!" Gon yelled at him. I was quite offended as well. If there's one thing I learned about this world it's that sometimes the unexpected happens, sometimes the weak looking aren't as weak as they seem.

"It'll be too late once you're in the game, kid," Tsezgerra responded, calm. "Unless you die off immediately. We don't need people who'll drag out the inevitable. As long as a player is alive inside the game, you can't reset or remove the memory card. In other words, you can't send in new players." So he expected us to die, huh?

"I've hired around one hundred pro and amateur Hunters to play this game, and over half of them have given up," Mr. Battera explained.

"Given up?" Gon asked.

"They've given up on returning to the real world, choosing to live inside the game," Tsezgerra continued for him. "That is why I must careful when selecting players. We need people who are strong enough to obtain items for returning to the real world." I was starting to get hesitant about this whole thing. Was I strong enough? I didn't know. What I did know is that the only way out of the game was to die or complete it. How would being in the game effect me travelling back and forth between my world and the Nen world? Would I be stuck there?

"And you're saying we aren't strong enough?" Gon asked.

"How can he know that?" Killua asked as well.

"Because he's a pro Hunter who has played Greed Island before," Mr. Battera explained.

"Speaking from my own experience, the items for returning to the real world are relatively easy to obtain," Tsezgerra continued. "But with your Nen, it's hopeless. In fact, it'd be Game Over in no time. Once screen is done, I'm returning to the game." Items to return to real world? So there was a way to come back without dying or completing the game! Wait, that made sense. I mean, how else would this Tsezgerra be here? He wasn't dead, and they clearly haven't completed the game. And like he just said, he was returning to the game after the... Screening?

"Screening? You're screening players?" Killua asked.

"Yes, the screening will be on the auction's final day," Tsezgerra explained. "If you're interested in participating, you'll need to work on your Nen. Though, I doubt a girl and a couple of kids can pass." My cheeks puffed up. That CRAB BISCUIT! How dare he! Just because I was a girl didn't mean I was useless!

"Let's go," Killua said, starting out. I stared after him, then looked back at the man.

"Crab biscuit." The man's eyes widened slightly as I hmphed and quickly followed Killua. Gon quickly followed after.

When we got to the hotel I made sure to change back into my clothes, ah, my comfy clothes that Kai-san got me~ They were starting to get a little tight though. I must be growing. Well it _had_ been almost a year.

"Uh! I'm so mad!" Gon said, fuming.

"Still, he's right," Killua said. I nodded.

"What do you mean?" Gon said with a look of disappointment.

"Chill out a little," Killua said. "We should start thinking about taking this to the next level."

"Next Level?" Gon asked.

"Yep. You know our special abilities, like Basil," Killua stated. I beamed. "Kurapika started learning Nen when we did. But he was able to fight the Troupe because of his special abilities. But he got that power by using Restraint and Vow. We can't follow his example. We need abilities without too much or too little risk, which still fit our specialties. Something practical and effective… Like what Basil did. That's what we have to come up with."

"You're making me blush." I said with a slight chuckle. Killua immediately looked at me, then frowned.

"No I'm not."

"What?"

"Making you blush."

"It's an expression. It means thank you for the complements, but you shouldn't."

"Oh. I knew that."

"Sure you did."

"Killua just wanted to see you blush~" Gon interjected.

"Will you guys stop that!" Killua yelled back, tackling Gon. I chuckled.

It wasn't long before we got back to being serious and thinking about abilities. I left the two to go to my own room to think about developing my own abilities farther. What was I going to do? I knew what I wanted but... How would I put it into practice? I had my True Barrier already. I wanted to take Kurapika's example and have an ability for each type of Nen category that correlated to my barriers. But how...?

A knock on my door brought my attention. "Come in!" The door opened to reveal the silver haired Killua.

"Yo."

"Hey."

"Whatcha doing?"

"I'm thinking of working on my barriers," I replied. "What's your Hatsu going to be?"

"It's a secret~" Killua responded with a wink and a finger over his mouth. He sat down in front of me. "You want help?"

"Sure... I'm trying to think of how to use my barriers to have different barriers which have different types," I explained. Like a Trasmuter version of my True Barrier, and an Enhancer version of my True Barrier, and-"

"I get it, I get it," Killua interrupted. "Well why don't you just draw the Nen diagram out then in the center have the qualities that make up your barriers." I stared at him in slight confusion. "And you can... Man, I don't know, take a quality from one and add it, practice, then move to the next type?" I continued to stare at him, then smiled.

"OK, I'll try that, thanks!" Killua nodded, standing.

"And don't fall asleep!" I watched him start to go in confusion. "I don't want you hanging with that Derek guy."

"Wait, but I-" But Killua was already gone. I sighed. I had to sleep at some time. I still got tired, I just never actually... Slept.

I shook my head. No time to think about that. I needed to focus on my barriers.

I got to work drawing the diagram, then put the qualities of my True Barrier in the center. Now to get to work!

* * *

**The poll is over, thank you everyone for all your support! ^^ You'll see what happens when I get there! XD**


	62. Chapter 62

**Alright, another chapter! I'm going to try to make it extra long for you guys, OK? Enjoy~! Love you all! Thanks for the support!**

**Sketch Drawers - Aw, thank you! XD You can find Sleepless Shadows and Basil fanart on Deviantart if you want to see images of her and others. :P Thank you so much for sticking with it for so long! You're amazing! 3 I hope you enjoy the rest of it!**

**KittyCat134 - Yes, yes he is. :3**

**Zeladious - Aw, GET SLEEP. I'm such a hypocrite lol**

**Mistress Silver Moon - Thank you! :3 Yes, Basil in all her knowledge can't accept the fact he likes her~ XD**

**taran taran - ;) Here you go~**

**BizzyLizy - Wow, so many reviews! Thank you! And... 1) Wow, that's... Like two of the things I don't do. Excersize and drink little milk. I love milk. XD 2) I like him too. :P He's a little crazy. XD And yeah, me too. I wasn't sure how to feel about Melody but I liked her in the end. She's so sweet, and I'm glad she helped Kura. He needed it. Yes, she's awesome. :3 3) And yes, she did. She was too tired and stressed herself. Plus, she trusts her brother, and trusts his abilities. I should elaborate on that more later... But yeah, I like their relationship too. It's so cute, and it'll get cuter~! XD 4) Yeah, Kil can be a jerk sometimes. :P But it'll work out in the end. XD And no, she couldn't leave until she knew he had Ten down, that's why she was late getting back to go to the auction. I'll elaborate on it more in this chapter before she goes to Greed Island. :P 5) And she will, at some point. She still gets tired~ And you're welcome! I'm sorry this one is late, and that I won't be updating for a while... ^^; Please forgive my writer's block and procrastination...**

* * *

**"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." - Albert Camus**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_It wasn't long before we got back to being serious and thinking about abilities. I left the two to go to my own room to think about developing my own abilities farther. What was I going to do? I knew what I wanted but... How would I put it into practice? I had my True Barrier already. I wanted to take Kurapika's example and have an ability for each type of Nen category that correlated to my barriers. But how...?_

_A knock on my door brought my attention. "Come in!" The door opened to reveal the silver haired Killua._

_"Yo."_

_"Hey."_

_"Whatcha doing?"_

_"I'm thinking of working on my barriers," I replied. "What's your Hatsu going to be?"_

_"It's a secret~" Killua responded with a wink and a finger over his mouth. He sat down in front of me. "You want help?"_

_"Sure... I'm trying to think of how to use my barriers to have different barriers which have different types," I explained. Like a Trasmuter version of my True Barrier, and an Enhancer version of my True Barrier, and-"_

_"I get it, I get it," Killua interrupted. "Well why don't you just draw the Nen diagram out then in the center have the qualities that make up your barriers." I stared at him in slight confusion. "And you can... Man, I don't know, take a quality from one and add it, practice, then move to the next type?" I continued to stare at him, then smiled._

_"OK, I'll try that, thanks!" Killua nodded, standing._

_"And don't fall asleep!" I watched him start to go in confusion. "I don't want you hanging with that Derek guy."_

_"Wait, but I-" But Killua was already gone. I sighed. I had to sleep at some time. I still got tired, I just never actually... Slept._

_I shook my head. No time to think about that. I needed to focus on my barriers._

_I got to work drawing the diagram, then put the qualities of my True Barrier in the center. Now to get to work!_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

I sat in the seat next to Killua staring at all the people around in wonder. There were a lot of people here for the screening... I was quite curious who in the end would pass.

I was quite upset at that Tsezgerra guy from before. He'd only based us entering on our Ren. Not out strength, or our memory, skills, knowledge, experience, or how smart we were, but on our Ren of all things. I'd kind of lost faith in him. My Ren was not very strong. I'd practiced it a lot, as it was a big part of my barriers, however if someone was basing someone's strength over something like that... I shook my head. I was getting too worked up over it.

I looked up at the stage where a man walked out, everyone quieting for the time being to listen to what he had to say.

"I apologize for keeping everyone waiting," The man said. "We will now begin selecting players. As everyone already knows, you must be able to use Nen for this game. The test will proceed as follows. First, we need each applicant to demonstrate their Nen. We will then make our decision. The judge will be the pro Hunter, Mr. Tsezgerra!" I thought for a moment. They didn't say Ren. This time, we just had to show our Nen in general. Maybe I could use _that_... Tsezgerra walked out, standing next to the man.

"Let us begin the test," he said. "One at a time, come up and show me your Ren. A shutter and curtain will block any view of the stage, so other applicants cannot see what's happening. The moment we've chosen thirty-two players, the test will end." I paused at that. There with the Ren again. It was getting on my nerves. However only thirty two players would get chosen... There was a lot more than that here. It reminded me of the exam. They'd probably test everyone and weed it down till it was thirty-two.

"Please step this way to take the test," the host said through the curtain.

I was about to get up but Killua stopped me. "No use staying in line, just sit here and relax until it dies down." I nodded. It made sense. Plus I was tired. I hadn't barely spent any time at all in my world. Normally I didn't mind, spending as least amount of time as I could there was refreshing, however now with Derek there, plus I still got tired if I didn't sleep much...

I yawned. All this thinking about sleep was getting me sleepy. I placed my head on Killua's shoulder, closing my eyes.

"Basil!" I awoke as I was pushed aggressively off Killua's arm. I stared at him, and he stared back, a blush creeping onto his face. "You- you can't do that!"

"Aw, Killua, let Basil sleep, she's tired!" Gon said.

"No!" Killua replied. I puffed up my cheeks at him. So rude!

"You just don't want her going back to Derek~" Gon sang out. "Killua and Basil, sitting in a- Mmph!" Killua's hand was over Gon's face instantly.

"Not at all. I'm just, it's... When she goes to sleep she wont wake up for a while, and what if she wakes and it's already over?"

"Oh..." Gon mused, shutting up.

"I agree she needs sleep, but later."

I nodded in understanding. I could hold off. It wasn't like I hadn't held off on sleep before. I could manage. But if I slept now and the line disappeared and everyone went before I woke up... That'd be an issue. I'd have to just wait it out like everyone else... I sighed in slight annoyance. I'd sleep after. I just needed to distract my mind.

A laughing brought my attention behind me where a man sat, leaning forward, watching the three of us. He had blonde hair and an underbite. I immediately got wary of the man, his laughing making me slightly more nervous than I already was.

"Those guys are hopeless..." The man said, referring to the people in line. "They don't stand a chance."

"Huh?" The two boys looked back at the man.

"I'm talking about those still in line and those waiting nearby," the blonde replied matter-of-factly. "Especially the ones waiting next to the line. They're probably waiting for someone to return so they can ask what's inside. If you do some research and used your head, you'd see there's no rush."

The two turned to look back forward, while I glanced at Killua, who looked in thought, then at my hands. I had thought so...

"I get it. This time, they aren't choosing 32 players," Killua said.

"Exactly. It's been over 10 years, and no one's cleared the game. And new players can't begin if old ones are still alive," the man continued to explain. "Meaning that they have to save a few spots in case any extraordinary players appear. I'd guess they'd choose around 20 this round... Personally, I'd say those in line or standing nearby have no shot. Anyone worthwhile either got in line at once, or figured out the trick and stayed in their seats to focus, like we did." The man looked at Gon. "Wouldn't you agree kid?"

"Gon? You realized what was going on?" Killua asked.

"Well, it was just a hunch," Gon replied. "I thought it was only natural that the hosts would want to test everyone here." I nodded.

"Reminded me of the Hunter Exams," Killua glanced at me. "If they picked more than they needed they could weed out the weaker ones or something..." The man behind us laughed a bit more.

"That's true. You two kids win," The man nodded. "Yeah, I'm impressed. Not many people can stick to their ideals. The steeper and more dangerous the path, the greater the need for wit and ignorance to move forward." I looked back at my hands. Would I be able to pass? Would my technique work? I sure hoped so.

It wasn't long until the line was gone, and people who'd kept their seats went up. The host man peeked his head around the curtain. "Next please." The man behind us we'd we'd spoken to stood, pausing and looking back at us.

"My name is Puhat. Nice to meet you." The man now labeled as Puhat continued down.

"People who act smart usually fail," Killua said after him as the three watched him leave. The man nearly tripped and I couldn't help but smile a bit.

"He can hear you," Gon said nervously.

"I think that was the point," I said with a slight chuckle, watching the man disappear. Seconds later Killua started over.

"I'm heading over," Killua said, glancing back at us. I waved.

"Yup, good luck!" Gon said, waving as well. The two of us waited a moment.

"So, Gon..."

"You can go before me," Gon said with a smile. I stared at him a moment.

"You sure? You can definitely go before me if you want." However Gon shook his head.

"You can go. I'm sure you'll do fine. Your barriers are really strong!" I couldn't help but smile at the boy.

"Thanks." Gon patted my back as I stood and walked down, heading into the thing and down the darkened area between the curtain and the shudder. The dark narrow space made me nervous, but I kept my guard up and got ready. I'd show that Tsezgerra! I smiled, thinking back to Kurapika, who was on his way back to wherever with his boss.

* * *

_Flashback_

_I sighed, staring at my hands. They felt numb. The suggestion Killua had given me helped, but not much. I knew what I wanted to do, how I wanted to incorporate my barriers in each category, however... I felt as hopeless as Gon. How the hell do I do it? I barely managed to figure out how to get my Nen to work as barriers!_

_"Hey, you busy?" I looked up to see Kurapika in the doorway. He looked pale and exhausted._

_"Not really, are you OK? You sure you should be up?" Kurapika chuckled a bit._

_"I'm fine. Gon asked the same thing." I couldn't help but let a small smile tug on the edge of my lips. "He said I looked like you when he first met you." I frowned. I looked that awful? "I must say though, you do look a lot better."_

_"It's all thanks to this world!" I replied, smiling. "I couldn't have, I mean, you guys showed me the wonders of a life without fear. I'm still scared of things, but... I'm really grateful to have met you all." Kurapika smiled, sitting next to me, messing with my hair. I pouted, having to fix it. "Hey!"_

_"Are you struggling with your abilities too?" He motioned to the paper I'd sketched the diagram out on. I nodded._

_"I wanted an ability like yours. That I can have abilities that all focus around my barrier, but can help in different circumstances." I handed him the diagram, and he looked it over with a small frown in thought. "I'd first thought about it in the Trick Tower at the Hunter Exams, but I'd been too busy developing my barrier itself that I didn't think about it again until now."_

_"So you're wanting a barrier that specializes in each category?" Kurapika asked. "True Barrier?"_

_"Ah, yeah, that's what I call my main barrier." Kurapika nodded._

_"Fitting name. Well, first I'd work on something offensive. You don't want to work on so many at once," he said._

_"Ne, how did you get the different abilities for your chains?" I asked. Kurapika thought a moment._

_"Well, I first got the conjuring of them down," he replied. "Just like you, I developed it, then set the rules for my Judgement Chain and Chain Jail." I nodded in understanding. "After that I focused on developing my Nen into the qualities I wanted the others to inhibit."_

_"So... I should first work on something defensive that fits my goals?" Kurapika nodded to my question. I looked at the sheet a moment. "One at a time then? Well how about this one?" I pointed at one of them. Kurapika looked at it a moment._

_"True Nami?" He asked. I nodded with a smile._

_"I have another ability called Nami, but I haven't used it in a while. I'm... I'm sure I'll nearly die next time I use it." I was frowning, looking at my hands again. Memories of that gang's bloody mangled forms came rushing back to me, and I felt sick. Kurapika frowned._

_"Working with something familiar is good, but if it's going to kill you..." I shook my head._

_"I just want the same result. So it replaces my Nami." Kurapika just listened. "It's a good defense and offense, but..."_

_"It seems more like a supporting move than anything," Kurapika replied, staring at my diagram. "It's an implosion barrier, right? An Emitter Barrier? So what you'd be doing is just forcing your barrier into a sudden physical state of Ren to push others away. It's a good supporting move, but it might not do much damage." I nodded. My Nami did damage. But that's because it was more of an implosion. This would be more of an exertion._

_"Yeah, thanks. I'll see what I can do."_

_"Also, isn't this Absolute Barrier the same as your True Barrier?"_

_"No," I replied, shaking my head. "I'm trading my ability to read other's in my True Barrier for more protection in my Absolute Barrier. It'll... It'll be a barrier that'll stop any attack. Just in case."_

_"Something that strong won't hold up long," Kurapika said._

_"Yeah," I replied. "I know. It's meant as an ultimate backup defense."_

_"Well, it seems you have everything planned already. I don't see how you need my help." He smiled. "And if you have time, the True Nami looks very similar to your Counter Barrier. If you have time try developing that too. I know they're on opposite sides but as a specialist I don't think it'll be too much of an issue for you." I nodded. __"Oh, and Basil, one other thing." I looked at Kurapika curiously. He pointed at another one of my barrier ideas. "This one... That'll be really dangerous. You'd have to be exposed to-"_

_"I know," I replied quickly. "I... I was thinking of learning to make multiple barriers first. Like a barrier inside of a barrier." Kurapika nodded._

_"Be careful Imoto."_

_"Hai Kura-Nii-san."_

_End Flashback_

* * *

"Let me see your Ren."

I stared at the man, Tsezgerra, in front of me, who looked curious. I looked at my hand, then back at him.

"Ren?" I asked. "Or Nen?"

"It doesn't matter, anything to show me how strong your Nen is." I nodded at his answer. Here goes nothing...

My barriers were nigh invisible. People could only see them if using Gyo. However that was when they weren't being used in a way that made people know they were there. I couldn't attack this man. He just wanted to see my abilities. So I'd show him what I learned the past four days. I'd learned two new barriers and started learning a third, and I couldn't let this go to waste.

"Punch me," I said. Tsezgerra looked confused a moment. "Punch me," I repeated. The man sighed, then swung forward. However his punch was stopped in mid air, and he was pushed back. Confused, he punched again, harder, but this time not at me, but the air in front of me that'd stopped him. This time a force pushed out at him, sending him into the wall. However he quickly recovered, standing.

"What... What is that?"

"My Counter Barrier," I replied. "Anyone that tries to attack me will immediately get countered." Tsezgerra nodded, clearly curious.

"You pass." He sighed, motioning to a doorway. I smiled at him, then went happily over to the door, opening it and looking out. I spotted Killua's white mop of hair and grinned, heading over to him.

"You passed!" Killua grinned and held up his hand. I high-fived him and sat down.

"Yup!" He replied. You too! Your barrier worked?" I scoffed.

"It always works." I stuck my tongue at him and he just chuckled. "So far at least." Killua opened his mouth to say something else but a shaking kind of crashing sound came. I hit the floor, my first thought being an earthquake. However it wasn't. It turned out to be Gon, who seconds after peeked his head around the corner of the door, then smiled and hurried over to us, Killua waving. So he passed as well.

"Gon!" Killua called down.

"Killua! Good, you and Basil got chosen," Gon said, standing next to us.

"What? Did you expect us to fail?" Killua said with a hint of sarcasm. "Was that 'boom' your doing?"

"Yeah! He asked me to hit the wall with 'that'!" Gon said happily.

"I asked him to hit me," I said. Gon and Killua stared at me. Killua sighed.

"Oh yeah, your barriers," Killua responded. "You made them sturdier?" I'd forgotten I'd kept their development from the two boys. They didn't know about my two new barriers yet.

"Kind of." Killua raised an eyebrow at my reply, but didn't say much else.

One my one more people came in, until eventually the man named Tsezgerra came in, the host passing out papers to everyone.

"Well, allow me to congratulate you," Tsezgerra said. "The twenty-two people here have earned the right to play Greed Island. Upon clearing the game, you will receive 50 billion Jenny. The details are in the contract, so read and sign it before you depart at 5 pm." I stared at the contract in my hands, looking it over a minute, before yawning. As everyone stood to go I yelped as I was lifted, and struggled a moment.

"Hey, hey! Calm down!" Killua, who was carrying me, said with a groan. I stared at him a moment, wondering why he was carrying me especially the so called bridal style like this. "You can sleep now. You have until 5 PM, so get some rest!" I continued to stare at him. "What?"

"Thanks," I said, smiling, before closing my eyes and leaning into him as he carried me.

"Man, you're too light."

I didn't notice the blush that was creeping up on Killua's face as he held me. I drifted off soundly to sleep. I had 6 hours in my world until I had to be back. I could make it back before then.

* * *

**So this took a lot longer than I wanted... Not because it was long but because I procrastinated. :P I'm sorry. And, SURPRISE! I had enough to separate this chapter up. So I'm going to have another short chapter for you here soon with some more Derek in it. :P But the next chapter will be the last one for a while...**


	63. Chapter 63

**Alright, last chapter for a while! Sorry guys! I just really need a break... It took so much willpower to finish this chapter and get it to you guys... ^^;  
**

**BizzyLizy - Oh trust me, it gets more interesting~ XD You're welcome, and thanks for reviewing! ^^**

**Zeladious - Yeah. 'Last one' Not. :P This one is though. I'm dealing with things and forcing myself so much to write this chapter for you guys, so I'll definitely be taking a break for a while.**

* * *

**"One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood." - Lucius Annaeus Seneca**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"You pass." He sighed, motioning to a doorway. I smiled at him, then went happily over to the door, opening it and looking out. I spotted Killua's white mop of hair and grinned, heading over to him._

_"You passed!" Killua grinned and held up his hand. I high-fived him and sat down._

_"Yup!" He replied. You too! Your barrier worked?" I scoffed._

_"It always works." I stuck my tongue at him and he just chuckled. "So far at least." Killua opened his mouth to say something else but a shaking kind of crashing sound came. I hit the floor, my first thought being an earthquake. However it wasn't. It turned out to be Gon, who seconds after peeked his head around the corner of the door, then smiled and hurried over to us, Killua waving. So he passed as well._

_"Gon!" Killua called down._

_"Killua! Good, you and Basil got chosen," Gon said, standing next to us._

_"What? Did you expect us to fail?" Killua said with a hint of sarcasm. "Was that 'boom' your doing?"_

_"Yeah! He asked me to hit the wall with 'that'!" Gon said happily._

_"I asked him to hit me," I said. Gon and Killua stared at me. Killua sighed._

_"Oh yeah, your barriers," Killua responded. "You made them sturdier?" I'd forgotten I'd kept their development from the two boys. They didn't know about my two new barriers yet._

_"Kind of." Killua raised an eyebrow at my reply, but didn't say much else._

_One my one more people came in, until eventually the man named Tsezgerra came in, the host passing out papers to everyone._

_"Well, allow me to congratulate you," Tsezgerra said. "The twenty-two people here have earned the right to play Greed Island. Upon clearing the game, you will receive 50 billion Jenny. The details are in the contract, so read and sign it before you depart at 5 pm." I stared at the contract in my hands, looking it over a minute, before yawning. As everyone stood to go I yelped as I was lifted, and struggled a moment._

_"Hey, hey! Calm down!" Killua, who was carrying me, said with a groan. I stared at him a moment, wondering why he was carrying me especially the so called bridal style like this. "You can sleep now. You have until 5 PM, so get some rest!" I continued to stare at him. "What?"_

_"Thanks," I said, smiling, before closing my eyes and leaning into him as he carried me._

_"Man, you're too light."_

_I didn't notice the blush that was creeping up on Killua's face as he held me. I drifted off soundly to sleep. I had 6 hours in my world until I had to be back. I could make it back before then._

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Girly awake!" Derek clapped, rocking back and forth in his seat near me. I stared at him a moment.

"You sure got Ten down fast."

"Derek's good at magic! Derek become strong!" He fist-bumped the air. I couldn't help but smile at him.

"You're crazy Derek." Derek just grinned at me, then came over, putting his face in mine. I stiffened instantly, watching him warily with wide eyes.

"Girly said Derek's name! Derek happy!" I sighed at the boy's antics.

"Well since you have Ten down, next is Ren..."

"Ren is more magic?" I nodded at the boy's question, sitting down and starting to explain to him about Nen. Derek listened intently. By the time I was done the boy was amazed. He stood excitedly. "Derek will become a master! Derek will become strong!"

"Don't forget your promise though..."

"Of course, Derek will help hide Basil girly." I sighed.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Basil never told Derek why she's running." I stared at the boy's comment a bit.

"I'm... I attacked my parents..."

"That's all?" I stared at Derek in surprise. "Derek done worse," Derek continued with a grin. "Derek lit the house on fire. Derek don't like the home. Derek ran away too." I listened intently. "At least Basil girly has parents. Derek don't have no parents. No family no more too. Not after fire." He showed me the paper. "See? See?" I looked at the newspaper and my eyes soften.

'Terracotta Orphanage burnt to the ground after boy throws lighter into building' it said. It was about how the orphanage was mistreating its children and it was overpopulated, and many of the older kids had taken to drug dealing and living on the streets. It was several years ago.

I'd like to say I understood the boy a bit more. He was the same age as me but still, he must have had it rough, not knowing much about the world. Like me. I'd made it my mission to help those like him.

"Alright, then let's get started on your Ren."

* * *

"Basil~ Have I got it?"

"Nope." I sighed. Derek had gotten Ten down easy, but Ren seemed like a struggle for him. "You know, training takes years sometimes..."

"Derek doesn't have years!" Derek replied. "Derek want magic now!"

"You've got to be patient... Plus I'm not the best of teachers..." Too bad Kai-san wasn't here...

"Basil the only teacher," Derek replied. "Basil Derek's teacher."

"I know, I know..." To bad Gon and Killua weren't here... Or Kurapika...

Kurapika... He'd already long headed off. I barely got to say goodbye as Gon, Killua, and I had left for the screening. I'd have to text him to tell him all three of us passed.

"Yo, Girly~ Basil Girly's spacing out." I blinked seeing Derek's hand waving in front of my face.

"Oh, sorry Derek." Derek grinned at me.

"It other friends, no?" I stared at him. He held up the phone where the picture of Gon and Killua was on the screen.

"Hey!"

"Girly spacing out. Derek take phone."

"It's not nice to take other's belongings."

"Basil takes other's belongings." I blinked at him. After a moment of him eyeing me I sighed.

"I didn't steal these." I wasn't sure whether I should tell Derek everything I bring back to this world was from another world...

"Sure you didn't." He stuck his tongue out at me. "So who other friends?"

"Gon and Killua," I replied, holding out my hand to ask for the phone back.

"Do they know magic too?" Derek asked, staring at the phone.

"Yes," I replied. I'd given up correcting him...

"Cool! Are they back where you live?" I stared at him when he asked that question.

"Er, yeah."

"Why is his hair white?" Derek was pointing at Killua. I chuckled, remembering my first meeting with they boy.

"Silver. His hair's silver."

We spent the rest of the time on our Ren until Derek got tired and decided to rest. I needed to go back to my world or I'd be late... And that'd be bad.

I laid down in my usual pile of somewhat softer items, staring up at the sky through the holes in the roof of the old warehouse Derek had picked as a good safe place for us, frowning.

My, how the sky was different.

I turned onto my side, closing my eyes, breathing softly as I let my mind wander...

"Hey, Basil." I didn't answer. "Hey, Basil girly, you awake?" I sighed.

"Yes," I replied.

"I'm cold."

"I'm sorry Derek. Me too." There was silence. Derek said nothing more. I felt his back press up to mine and flinched a bit, eyes opening as I turned to see he'd come to lie next to me, then sighed, looking away from him again, before finally drifting off.

* * *

"Ow..." I rubbed my head, which had bumped into something hard.

"Ah, Basil, you're up!" The voice sounded like Gon.

"Finally..." Killua.

"Ugh, what'd I miss?" I looked at the two boys, who'd apparently been letting me rest on them. We were in a car, Leorio was driving. I blinked as my nostrils were filled with the delicious smell of pizza and a slice was shoved into my face by the pale hand of Killua.

"We saved you some," he said. "Now eat." I happily took it from him and chewed down on it. I admit, I was pretty hungry...

"So, what's the news?"

"First you should eat," Killua said, handing me another slice. I just stared at him.

"But..."

"Killua, she should sign the contract first!" Killua gave Gon, who'd spoken, a look, but didn't back down until I'd taken the second slice.

"So the contract's good?" I asked.

"Yup!" Gon said happily. Leorio looked it over for us. The man driving gave us a thumbs up. I couldn't help but smile, then put the sagging slice of pizza in my mouth as I went to sign my name. However I paused. I stared at the paper for a second too long, because Gon and Killua immediately got worried.

"Did she pass out?" Gon asked.

"No, idiot," Killua replied, tapping my shoulder. "Basil, come on, you can write your name, can't you?" I looked at Killua, shaking my head.

"I can in my language, but I don't know how to write it in yours..."

"You don't have to write it in our language dummy," Killua retorted. "I bet half the people's signatures will be illegible anyways." I chuckled at that, then scribbled down my name. The two stared at it for a bit in amazement. "Hey, I'll teach you how to write your name in our language if you teach me how to write mine in yours."

"Me too!" Gon said.

"Idiot, you can't teach her the same thing!" Killua said back.

"Oh," Gon replied sheepishly with a smile as he scratched the back of his head.

"I'll teach you both," I replied.

"Hey, you can't teach him too!" Killua said. "He has to do something for you!" I blinked at the boy.

"Um... Then maybe..." I thought a second, then smiled. "He can spar with me!"

"EH?!"

"I need a sparring partner to practice my barriers, unlike you two who can use your abilities without anyone having to be there."

"But haven't you already been training without someone?" Gon asked.

"With my True Barrier I didn't need a partner to practice it, but Kai-san sparring with me really helped me strengthen it."

"Oh..."

"Get ready guys- And Basil." The three of us looked at Leorio. "We're here."

The three of us huddled to the windows to look out at the castle we'd arrived at. It was huge! As soon as the car stopped the three of us were out of there.

"Thanks Leorio!"

"Thanks for the ride!"

"See you!"

"Hey! Be safe!" Leorio yelled back out the window at us. "Don't do anything crazy!"

"No promises!"

"Bye Leorio, we''l see you soon!"

"We'll finish the game before you know it!"

I waved back at the man who simply relaxed and smiled, then I turned back to the other two and entered into the building.

* * *

"Now, then… Before we begin, let me explain a few things." The man named Tsezegerra stood in front of us, the group of people who'd passed the screening, speaking and explaining things to us. I listened intently, glancing at the cords and monitors and other items behind him. I'd never seen things like this before... "The individual game copies are not independent. It doesn't matter which console you start from. You will all arrive at the same place. Consider it a virtual area accessible from any spot on this planet." I thought about what he said a moment. So it was like an online MMO? That made sense. "I will now hand out memory cards. You will immediately head into the game. But first we must decide the order."

"Order?" Puhat, the man with the underbite we'd talked to before, asked.

"Only one may enter the game area at a time," Tsezgerra replied. "We will decide the order now, to cause less bickering inside the game."

"Then let's use rock-paper-scissors," Puhat added. It was a good plan. I honestly didn't care when I went in, we'd all go in at some point. My issue was, once we got in the game. How would it look? How would it feel? How would we do things, and who would we encounter? What is the game, Greed Island, like? Gon said his father made it, so it must be good. I looked around at people starting their rock-paper-scissors bouts. As long as I went in around the same time as Gon and Killua, it'd be all good. Hopefully those two wouldn't be too far apart.

Killua lost before me. I had a plan. I knew how to play rock-paper-scissors. Unfortunately, so were others.

"Dang! I'm 17th!" Killua said upsettingly.

"15th," I told him. I looked over at Gon, who'd just won first. "Who would've thought." I smiled at Killua, who immediately looked away from me. We watched Gon enter the game, waving a farewell, before passing the time with conversation.

"So how's it going on your side?" Killua asked. I stared at him a moment before it dawned on me. He was talking about my world.

"Oh, good so far! No issues yet, though Derek is struggling with Ren..." Killua frowned at my words. "But he's getting there. He might be obnoxious but he's determined."

"I don't like how he's watching over you." I blinked at Killua.

"Well, I personally find it a relief. It's nice to know I won't be attacked in the middle of something while I'm totally helpless."

"I guess that's good..."

"But unfortunately the guy's exhausted right now from over-trying to use his Ren. He's passed out right now."

"So you're both passed out?" I nodded. "Can I borrow your phone?" I blinked at him in confusion as he held his hand out.

"What?"

"Let me borrow your phone!" Killua was trying to ask nicely.

"Um... OK..." I hand him my phone.

"It's to take a video. Since apparently data goes through worlds too I'm going to send him a video message."

"You can just tell me, I can tell him when-"

"No! And don't you look at the video either!" I just stared at him as he stomped away out of heading range with my phone.

"Feisty one, eh~?" I turned to see one of the men. He winked. I just looked back in Killua's direction.

It wasn't long after I was called up, and I went over to enter the game, placing my hands on the device.

"Basil!" I turned to see Killua, and had to let go to catch my phone being tossed at me. "It's for that Derek guy!" I nodded, then put the phone back in my pocket, placing my hands back on the thing, then using Ren.

It felt like I was being pinched all over... When I opened my eyes, shut from the blinding light, I was in a large, white, circular room.

"Welcome to Greed Island. You must be Miss Basil. I will now explain how the game works. Would you care to listen?" I looked up where a lady sat in a floating chair. So she was the tutorial lady or something?

"Sure," I responded. It couldn't hurt. And I wanted to know how this game worked.

"In this game, there are two magic spells available to anyone wearing a ring." I looked at my hand, there there was a ring. "Book and Gain. Place the hand with the ring in front of you and say 'Book'." I followed her instructions, and a book appeared in front of me. I got excited. "In this game, your task is to collect certain cards. That book is for sorting the cards you've collected. Please look at the first page." I did so. "Each slot is labeled with a number. You can only place cards of the same number in these slots. These are your 'restricted slots.' Please flip ahead a few pages." I did so. "You may place any card inside these slots. These are your 'free slots.' There are a 100 restricted slot, numbered 0 to 99. Then, you have another 45 free slots. To clear this game, you must fill the 100 restricted slots." I nodded. I was slightly confused, but it also made sense. Everyone started out with these two spells, and these, besides physical fighting and Nen, were the only ways to attack people and do things. There was different cards with different abilities. So anyone could have anything. "Specifically, you must transform a hundred items into cards and put them in your book. For example, if you obtain a sword it will immediately transform into card. If you wish to use a card as the item, you must use the spell 'Gain.' However, once you've used Gain to return a card to item form, you can never transform it into a card again. If you want to make it a card again, you must reacquire the item. Do you understand everything so far?"

"Yep," I responded. So far it made sense. Everything was a card. So people's main attacks would be cards. I'd assume the spells are unavoidable too...

"There are two other cases in which you cannot transform an item into a card," The lady continued. "The first is when you reach the item's maximum card transformation limit. Every item in this game has a card transformation limit. For example, if an item has a transformation limit of three, and three players have already transformed the item into a card, the fourth to find it will be unable to change it into a card. In the second case… if you don't place the card into your book within one minute, it will automatically revert to an item. In this case, as well, you can never transform that item into a card again. Do you understand?" I nodded. I was confused at first but now that I thought about it it made sense. They wouldn't want everyone hoarding cards. I'd assume that once it was used or 'gain'ed it also allow others to transform it back.

"Yeah, I get the gist of it. I do have a question though, the cards. Is EVERYTHING a card or can be turned into cards, including NPCs and materials you get in the world, and what is the extent of helping or hindering, or even hurting a player, that the cards can do?"

"As for your first question, yes. As for the second, that is for you to discover, but none of the spell cards in the game can kill you, only the ones who wield them can if they use them for that intended purpose." I nodded. "Is that all?"

"Yeah," I responded, my book disappearing.

"Well then, welcome to Greed Island."

* * *

**Sorry, but last chapter for a while! Hope you enjoyed it! Managed to finally buckle down and finish it lol**


	64. Chapter 64

**Finally! Another chapter! XD These ones are soooo hard for me to write... T^T But I have the outlines for the next few chapters done so I can get some out to you here quickly, hopefully. :P I'm just also working on a couple other things, so I'm procrastinating... A lot... ^^; IDK, I just haven't been in the mood... T^T Hopefully I can get back to this here soon... I really can't wait until this is done! If you can believe it I'm estimating I'm just over halfway done! Which means another 40-60 more chapters here... UGH... I need motivation... BUT you're welcome for the longer than normal chapter.**

**Zeladious - Thank you. T^T**

**BizzyLizy - Thanks a lot. :) Your support means a lot to me. ^^**

* * *

**"The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it." - Hubert H. Humphrey**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"Basil!" I turned to see Killua, and had to let go to catch my phone being tossed at me. "It's for that Derek guy!" I nodded, then put the phone back in my pocket, placing my hands back on the thing, then using Ren._

_It felt like I was being pinched all over... When I opened my eyes, shut from the blinding light, I was in a large, white, circular room._

_"Welcome to Greed Island. You must be Miss Basil. I will now explain how the game works. Would you care to listen?" I looked up where a lady sat in a floating chair. So she was the tutorial lady or something?_

_"Sure," I responded. It couldn't hurt. And I wanted to know how this game worked._

_"In this game, there are two magic spells available to anyone wearing a ring." I looked at my hand, there there was a ring. "Book and Gain. Place the hand with the ring in front of you and say 'Book'." I followed her instructions, and a book appeared in front of me. I got excited. "In this game, your task is to collect certain cards. That book is for sorting the cards you've collected. Please look at the first page." I did so. "Each slot is labeled with a number. You can only place cards of the same number in these slots. These are your 'restricted slots.' Please flip ahead a few pages." I did so. "You may place any card inside these slots. These are your 'free slots.' There are a 100 restricted slot, numbered 0 to 99. Then, you have another 45 free slots. To clear this game, you must fill the 100 restricted slots." I nodded. I was slightly confused, but it also made sense. Everyone started out with these two spells, and these, besides physical fighting and Nen, were the only ways to attack people and do things. There was different cards with different abilities. So anyone could have anything. "Specifically, you must transform a hundred items into cards and put them in your book. For example, if you obtain a sword it will immediately transform into card. If you wish to use a card as the item, you must use the spell 'Gain.' However, once you've used Gain to return a card to item form, you can never transform it into a card again. If you want to make it a card again, you must reacquire the item. Do you understand everything so far?"_

_"Yep," I responded. So far it made sense. Everything was a card. So people's main attacks would be cards. I'd assume the spells are unavoidable too..._

_"There are two other cases in which you cannot transform an item into a card," The lady continued. "The first is when you reach the item's maximum card transformation limit. Every item in this game has a card transformation limit. For example, if an item has a transformation limit of three, and three players have already transformed the item into a card, the fourth to find it will be unable to change it into a card. In the second case… if you don't place the card into your book within one minute, it will automatically revert to an item. In this case, as well, you can never transform that item into a card again. Do you understand?" I nodded. I was confused at first but now that I thought about it it made sense. They wouldn't want everyone hoarding cards. I'd assume that once it was used or 'gain'ed it also allow others to transform it back._

_"Yeah, I get the gist of it. I do have a question though, the cards. Is EVERYTHING a card or can be turned into cards, including NPCs and materials you get in the world, and what is the extent of helping or hindering, or even hurting a player, that the cards can do?"_

_"As for your first question, yes. As for the second, that is for you to discover, but none of the spell cards in the game can kill you, only the ones who wield them can if they use them for that intended purpose." I nodded. "Is that all?"_

_"Yeah," I responded, my book disappearing._

_"Well then, welcome to Greed Island."_

_End Re-cap_

* * *

"Gon!" I ran over to the boy who was waiting near the pillar of stairs. The green haired boy smiled and waved, taking a few steps towards me.

"Basil! You're here!"

"Yup. Now we just have to wait for Killua..."

"Shouldn't be long though, right?" Gon asked, standing next to me. "He wasn't too far after you."

"Yeah," I agreed, watching the stairs for a second before looking around. "I don't like this."

"Huh?" I continued to be silent as I thought. We were being watched. It put me on edge, but... It was probably because this was the starting place. Wasn't that what that Tsezgerra had said? No matter where you come in from, this is where you end out. That's probably why people were watching, to see who comes through.

We watched as the person after me got down the stairs, smiled at us with a small wave, then headed off in a direction. I watched after him before looking back at the stairs. Killua should come down next.

"This feels a little too real," Gon remarked. I nodded, looking at him.

"Anything will feel real when put into 3d perspective like this," I replied. "But I agree. This feels way too real, a lot more than a game. I don't know why, but it's making me really uncomfortable..."

"What do you mean?" Gon asked.

"A game that's just as real as reality but has restrictions on things. If it was a simple game I could handle, but this has real time limits, no pause button, and if you die... And it's the same vice versa, if it was exactly like reality that'd be OK too, but... This card thing, it just bothers me..."

"Oh..."

I turned my head as I heard Killua and waved a bit. He nodded back at the two of us, walking over, hands in pockets. "We're being watched. And I don't see any nearby towns." I nodded, glancing around.

"Yeah, but everyone headed in the same directions," Gon replied to Killua's statement.

"They either went this way or that way?" Killua asked, pointing in two directions.

"Huh? How did you know?" Gon asked.

"Because that's where the feeling's coming from," I replied. Killua nodded.

"Yeah, that's where we're being watched from. But we still don't know why they're watching us."

"It's probably because this is where the entrance is," I cut in. "That's what Tsezgerra said. I figured people are watching this spot for newbies or people to rob."

"True. Then we should get out of here," Killua replied, and started off. Gon and I followed. "But regardless of who's watching, we should start by gathering information. How did it go?"

"Hmm?" Gon asked, confused.

"Your save data," Killua replied, saying 'book' as he placed his hand out. "How many cards were inside?"

"There weren't any cards inside," Gon replied.

"Huh? For real?" Killua replied, surprised.

"Well it WAS Gon's dad... He sounds pretty tricky..." I put in.

"But there was a message from Ging," Gon added.

"What did he say?" Killua asked.

"To enjoy the game," Gon replied.

"That's it?" I asked. Gon nodded.

"Enjoy the game?" Killua repeated. "But this doesn't really feel like a game."

"That's what I said," I added. "It's too real. Maybe a collaborative Nen ability?"

"A..." Gon started.

"Collaborative Nen ability?" Killua finished. "Actually that makes sense. In a way. Must take some powerful users though." I nodded.

"What do you think about the rules?" Gon asked after a moment of silence.

"I still don't know enough yet," Killua replied.

"Really?" I asked. "Seems pretty simple-" A whirling sound almost cut me off. "To me..."

"What's that?" Killua asked, looking around.

"I don't know..." I replied.

"You hear it too?" Gon asked. We nodded. And that's when we spotted a glowing, yellow dot in the sky, getting closer and closer. _It must either be a Nen ability or a card,_ I thought, coming to that conclusion. The yellow spot shot down a small distance in front of us, dispersing to show a guy with a weird hairstyle and two tattoos on both his shoulders grinning, book out. So it was a card... I should probably get my book out too. Might not have anything but it was better than nothing.

"Book." I said, and my book appeared. The two boys glanced at me in confusion before looking at each other and calling out their books as well.

"Huh, seems like you're not as stupid as I thought," the guy said. "But I'm sure this must be your first time playing this game. At least you two."

"I wonder if you're right," Killua said, a tinge of agitation in his voice. "Since you're carrying a book, you must be a player."

"Well, sure." The guy said. My eyes narrowed. So were there NPCs which also had books? Still, it was a fact the three didn't have any experience, and the guy knew it. Plus... I could see him messing with his book. He was using a card maybe? I took a step back. "Killua-kun, Basil-chan, and Gon-kun, huh?"

"How do you know our names?" Gon asked.

"Spell card probably," I said, backing up more. Killua noticed my retreat.

"Maybe~" The guy said with a grin. I knew he was planning something. Every fiber of my being told me to run. But if it was a card... I figured it was a rule of this world, cards against cards. Would Nen even work? I still didn't know enough to fight back if I had to...

"Killua, Gon, run," I said so they could hear and not the man, but it was too late.

"Trace on! Attack, Basil!" My eyes widened. Why me? Was it because I seemed more experienced? There was a light and it headed right for me.

And then I remembered the words of the tutorial lady. No spell could kill. And trace, it was probably not harmful at all. But still... Both Killua and Gon took off, me behind them.

"You can't run from spells in this game!" The guy yelled. So it was indeed a spell. I continued to run, mostly being dragged by Killua, but it was gaining.

"But I can try to block it," I replied, mostly to myself, as I put my hands out, using my Nen to create my new 'Absolute Barrier' right before it reached me and Killua, causing Killua to have to stop as he looked back at me, sitting on the ground a bit behind where I'd been let go of, arms out as I used my strength to try and stop the spell. The three watched in amazement as the spell hit my barrier and stopped, pushing against it hard. It took all my power to hold it back, but I could feel my barrier breaking. But this confirmed that the cards had something to do with Nen. And they had to be very strong. I couldn't keep my 'Absolute Barrier' going for long though, it took too much out of me to maintain. It was an absolute defense that was meant to stall anything.

"Basil!"

I didn't know if that was Gon or Killua, but I panted as the Trace Spell eventually broke my barrier, sending me back and finally reaching me.

Yellow. Everything was yellow. My muscles were on fire, but it was a consuming warmth, not a burning, searing pain. I grimaced as I sat up, everything dizzy, taking deep breaths as my white vision slowly got into focus. I could see Gon running over, and Killua hovering over me.

And then I felt it. Bloodlust, anger, not directed at me, no, but coming from Killua. I glanced up at him, eyes wide.

"What did you just do to her?" Killua demanded from the man, who, making a face in terror, immediately used another card and disappeared in a flash of light into the sky.

"Basil! Are you OK?" Gon asked, worried as he checked me over and Killua helped me stand.

"I'm fine, I think," I replied.

"Are you sure?" Gon asked again.

"Yeah, it wasn't even all that painful, I'm mainly tired and sore for using my barrier..."

"But I'm still worried. He definitely did something to you," Gon continued.

"No point in worrying about it now," Killua put in with a slight scoff. I nodded.

"Maybe we can ask someone when we get to a city," I said. "But I'll be fine, I'm sure. The tutorial lady said that cards themselves can't kill."

"Cards?" Killua asked.

"Hey, was he using Nen when he said, 'Trace on'?" Gon asked.

"Don't know," Killua replied, while I shook my head. The two looked at me.

"He must have been using some kind of spell card. No normal Nen will break my 'Absolute Barrier' like that."

"Spell card?" Gon and Killua asked. I nodded.

"I'm not sure fully but I'm certain there are all sorts of cards, and since the guy said "You can't run from spells in this game" I'd assume yes, it was a spell card of a form."

"Ah..." Killua said, thinking. Gon's ears were smoking, and soon the two boys were squabbling over thinking hard, and I just smiled as I watched them, slowly getting my energy back.

* * *

"Hey, look! It's a town!" Gon shouted, pointing. The three of us looked at the sign.

"Antokiba, right?" I asked, reading the sign.

"Yup," Gon said with a smile. "City of Prizes…?"

"Prizes...?" I repeated, looking at the sign. I was still struggling with reading... I sighed. Killua elbowed me softly, bringing my attention to him. A soft look of understanding was on his face and I rolled my eyes as we continued on.

"Are those prizes?" Killua asked, motioning to fliers on a billboard.

"Wow, all of these are prizes?" Gon said, amazed. I just scanned over the pictures, picking up words here and there I understood.

"Antokiba Monthly Tournaments Schedule," Killua said looking at a larger flier. I glanced at it too.

"There's a rock-paper-scissors tournament this month," Gon remarked with a smile.

"The prize is a Sword of Truth," Killua said aloud, mainly for me.

"Is that an important item?" Gon asked.

"Probably. Look over there," Killua pointed to a group of people who looked to be participating.

"Should we participate?" Gon asked.

"Well we have a high chance with three of us," I said. "And it's just rock paper scissors. No biggy."

"We should try to win all kinds of prizes while we're here," Killua said. I nodded in agreement. "We should also gather information."

"Let's eat first," Gon suggested with a smile.

It wasn't long until the three of us were sitting in a restaurant, the three of us handed each a plate full of spaghetti and meatballs. "If you can finish this within thirty minutes, you don't need to pay! In addition, you'll also receive a Galgaida as your prize." The NPC talking held up a card. I knew without a doubt the two would finish theirs but me... I had such a small stomach... Even if I could eat all the pasta, the time limit... "Okay, begin!"

"You'd better eat it all Basil!" Killua said with a look. I just pouted as I started eating, scooping the pasta into my mouth as fast as I could.

Unfortunately I ended up soon choking, and Killua had to quickly rescue me before resuming his meal. As suspected, the two finished theirs on time. Me...

Just barely.

I laid on the ground, my soul leaving my body as I groaned, stomach in pain. "Too much..." The two boys just laughed and helped me up as the three of us were handed each a card with a kind of fish on it, and excused from the building without having to pay.

We continued down the street, talking about our next plans and what we were going to do. I was listening best I could but my stomach was in so much pain...

"Hey, Basil?" Gon said out of the blue.

"Yeah...?"

"When we trade in these for some money we can get some herbs or maybe find some in the mountains to help your stomach, OK?" I smiled at Gon's sweetness.

"Thanks..." I sighed.

"Ne, Basil, while we're walking I'll teach you to write your name." I glanced at Killua, who had his hands in his pockets as he walked.

"Oh, sure!" I said, brightening at the suggestion. Killua pulled out a pencil and paper and wrote down some symbols. I watched him.

"So, you can read this, right?" He held it up.

"Raiko..." I said, an eyebrow raised. "Um... Electricity?"

"Close, lightning," Killua corrected, curiosity on his face. He wrote something else down, and then showed it to me. I stared at it for a bit while Gon went to trade in the cards for money.

"Waraku? What does that mean?"

"Waraku? So you can read in a sense, but you're still understanding?" I nodded at Killua's question. "It says harmony." Killua thought a moment. "I know why it's difficult for you to learn our language now."

"The translator?" I asked. Killua nodded.

"It translates directly. I noticed it a while ago when you tried to say the name of the language you spoke." I opened my mouth to reply with the word but all that came out was a weird noise that sounded like a word in another language even I didn't understand. "Yeah, that... Since that word and meaning don't exist here there's no translation, and thus the translator doesn't know what to say and so does that."

"Yeah, you explained this before once..." Killua nodded as I fingered the spot on my clothes where the translator was. "So you're saying it's the same as that?"

"When you read it, you're reading it directly from the language itself." I thought a bit into what Killua was saying. "Meaning, I say harmony, you hear it as harmony because that's what the word is in your language, however I myself am not hearing the word harmony. I'm hearing as you said Wa-ra-ku?" I nodded. "So if you didn't have the translator-"

"I'd hear you say waraku not harmony," I cut in, understanding. "I see... So even if I could read the language I'd be translating from your language to mine anyways and then saying the word aloud you wouldn't understand and so I'd have to translate back to my language..."

"Yup..." Killua said with a sigh, writing another thing on the paper as Gon came out of the building with a smile. I waved at Gon, then paused with a frown as the paper was nearly shoved in my face.

"Bajiru?" I asked in confusion. "What does that say?"

"Basil," Killua replied with a frown.

"Oh!" I quickly took note of the way Killua had written my name, it looked like a capital i with three dots after it, the center dot having two horizontal lines, then a squished JU after. "I think it'll be a lot easier for you two to learn my language..."

"Why's that?" Gon asked, joining in the conversation.

"Come on Gon, let's get going," Killua said. "It'd make you confused anyways."

"Oh..."

However it wasn't long until there was an explosion sound near us, and I froze, looking around. Killua got defensive while Gon ran towards the noise. Killua and I followed soon after.

"Wait! Gon!" Killua yelled. The three of us reached a small forming croud, gathering far and loosly around something. "He's one of the players who entered with us..." I looked over Killua and was met with the sight of a mutilated man with blood everywhere, guts spilling out, face in terror. I quickly looked away, holding a hand to my mouth, eyes wide as I shook. I felt a hand on my shoulder but didn't bother to see if it was Gon or Killua. "Hey, what happened?"

"His body suddenly exploded. From the inside," a man responded to Killua's question. I continued to shake. His body... It reminded me too much of the faces, the looks of terror, the mutilated bodies and blood covered warehouse where the gang called Biohazard had kidnapped me to, where I had used my Nami for the last time and killed them all. Where I had almost killed myself with that technique.

"Hey, Basil, you OK?" Killua asked. So it was his hand on my shoulder. I shook my head. There was a second of silence.

"He probably went back to the real world," Gon said in consultation. "Game over."

"Remember, they die in the real world too," Killua replied. "The body won't go back, it's already gone."

"Hey, Killua. Was the magic used on Basil earlier…" Gon started.

"Don't worry. There's no such spell in this game," the man imputed.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. No spells can kill, only the wielders." The man nodded at my clarification.

"Oh yeah, you said something about spells before Basil," Gon said, trying to distract me from the body as Killua moved me away.

"Yeah, and as you just said, it's something like magic. He died from another player's Nen," the man confirmed. I knew it. It was Nen. That meant this world was still as dangerous as the real one.

"Nen? " Gon repeated.

"Does that mean the players are trying to kill each other?" Killua asked.

"Why?" Gon continued.

"Player hunting," the man responded.

"Player hunting?" Killua repeated.

"Makes sense, some people would see this as more of a game than others, some not caring, others going crazy or deciding to kill for fun..." My gaze lowered. After all, it was just a game... Or so it seemed. You could easily get away with murder here.

"Exactly. I can explain more later." The man smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Anyway, are you interested in teaming up? We know a sure way to clear this game. If you're interested, follow me. My allies are waiting ahead."

"What do we do?" Gon asked, turning to Killua and I.

"I'm not sure..." I mused. "I'd say too big of a group is dangerous, but having allies is good."

"Sounds suspicious to me. And we're already off a bad start," Killua said.

"As I recall, on your way here, another player used an attack spell on you," the man said to me. "Nice block by the way." I glanced back at him, about to say something when Killua spoke.

"You and your allies are one of the many people watching us, no?" Killua asked.

"You're right," the man replied. "Lots of people keep an eye on the starting point. If you come, I'll explain why. I can also tell you about the spell that was cast on you."

"You're being very nice. There must be a catch." Killua retorted.

"We have no choice. This game is difficult, unpleasant, and frightening. Once you realize that, you'll be more willing to accept our offer," the man explained. "Well, it's your first time playing, so you could use the information…" He was right...

"What makes you think it's our first time?" Killua retorted again. "We could be returning players."

"Book," the man said. Gon and Killua jumped back, wary, while I replied with my own book, taking a step back. Gon and Killua looked at me in slight confusion again.

"This proves that you two at least are beginners. An experienced player would react by summoning his or her own binder, like your friend here. Because you need spell cards to defend yourself."

"Then the spell cast on Basil…" Gon started.

"Could only be stopped by another card," Killua finished. I had figured as much. That was what I had come to the conclusion of too.

"But Basil stopped it with her barrier!" Gon exclaimed.

"Yes, that surprised me too... Have you played this game before?" The man asked me. I shook my head.

"I just followed what the tutorial lady said," I replied. "And I didn't stop it, I only stalled it..."

"Still, that was an amazing feat," the man said, "and very useful. It'd give people time to think and gather a card if a spell is flung at them before they could choose a card to defend. But still.." He turned to the two boys. "Like your friend here did, even when you aren't carrying any cards, you should still summon it. An important bluff."

"Hey, how do we obtain spell cards?" Gon asked.

"The easiest method would be to go to Masadora, City of Magic," the man responded.

"Masadora? Killua, Basil, we should go with him. I'm worried about the spell on Basil. Okay?" Gon asked us.

"I'm fine, really, but if you say so..." I said. Killua nodded. The man smiled and started off, and we followed.

* * *

**Here you guys go! An extra long chapter for you partially as an appology for the hiatus I'm on! Sorry this took so long, but... Like Greed Island... Very rarely do fanfics reach this arc I've found, and when they do they do a lot timeskip or something to avoid it. I'm NOT planning on time-skipping, what fun is that? And I don't want to rewatch the ENTIRE Greed Island arc and copy quotes so... It took forever to get this written and to you. So much stress and procrastination! T^T**

**Anyways, I'm in the process of making a reader insert _Choose your own Adventure_ HunterXHunter fanfic! XD Interested? I'm sure you are~! If you want I can send you the link to the site. It's not very far right now, but has many choices already. Just ask! Want to help write it? I'd be so grateful! The link to it is on my Deviantart as well, which is IsellaHowler. PLEASE check it out. Thanks so much~!**

**And before you ask, yes, if you write what was described that Killua wrote when he wrote her name, it will say Basil in Hunterian. :P Want to find out how to write your own name in Hunterian? :D Google 'my name in Japanese' and one of the links should be for a "nolanlawson" dot com. Go there to see how to say your name in Japanese, then go to hxhtranslator dot com and put it in. XD If you do it correctly it'll work. There's also a download for it to be added to your word documents and art apps so you can use it as a font XD (It's slightly confusing at first but you can learn XP)**

**PSSSSS My name in Hunterian is a dot, tilted left hourglass, and backwards L (OR in the word doc it's woG) :P XD LOL**


	65. Chapter 65

**Finally! Another chapter! XD I'm trying so hard for some motivation but... IDK. Hopefully this arc will be done in like 10 more chapters... That's what I'm estimating at least... ^^; Anyways! I'm trying to get back. :P Three quotes this time! XD  
**

* * *

**"Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness." - Euripides**

**"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." - Helen Keller**

**"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." - Walter Winchell**

* * *

_Re-cap:_

_"As I recall, on your way here, another player used an attack spell on you," the man said to me. "Nice block by the way." I glanced back at him, about to say something when Killua spoke._

_"You and your allies are one of the many people watching us, no?" Killua asked._

_"You're right," the man replied. "Lots of people keep an eye on the starting point. If you come, I'll explain why. I can also tell you about the spell that was cast on you."_

_"You're being very nice. There must be a catch." Killua retorted._

_"We have no choice. This game is difficult, unpleasant, and frightening. Once you realize that, you'll be more willing to accept our offer," the man explained. "Well, it's your first time playing, so you could use the information…" He was right..._

_"What makes you think it's our first time?" Killua retorted again. "We could be returning players."_

_"Book," the man said. Gon and Killua jumped back, wary, while I replied with my own book, taking a step back. Gon and Killua looked at me in slight confusion again._

_"This proves that you two at least are beginners. An experienced player would react by summoning his or her own binder, like your friend here. Because you need spell cards to defend yourself."_

_"Then the spell cast on Basil…" Gon started._

_"Could only be stopped by another card," Killua finished. I had figured as much. That was what I had come to the conclusion of too._

_"But Basil stopped it with her barrier!" Gon exclaimed._

_"Yes, that surprised me too... Have you played this game before?" The man asked me. I shook my head._

_"I just followed what the tutorial lady said," I replied. "And I didn't stop it, I only stalled it..."_

_"Still, that was an amazing feat," the man said, "and very useful. It'd give people time to think and gather a card if a spell is flung at them before they could choose a card to defend. But still.." He turned to the two boys. "Like your friend here did, even when you aren't carrying any cards, you should still summon it. An important bluff."_

_"Hey, how do we obtain spell cards?" Gon asked._

_"The easiest method would be to go to Masadora, City of Magic," the man responded._

_"Masadora? Killua, Basil, we should go with him. I'm worried about the spell on Basil. Okay?" Gon asked us._

_"I'm fine, really, but if you say so..." I said. Killua nodded. The man smiled and started off, and we followed._

_End Recap_

* * *

"Is this everyone?"

I stared around at the group of people. Some I recognized... And Puhat was there. I gave him a quick smile, but stayed with Gon and Killua. It seemed a little small for what the man was suggesting. They must have more members other places.

"Yeah, everyone else turned me down." The speaker was a guy with short grey hair and a mustache.

"Let's get started, then," a tall man said, adjusting his glasses. I watched him, listening. "Another player was just killed. He arrived with the rest of you. His stomach exploded. It was the Bomber."

"The Bomber?" Gon asked.

"The victims aren't killed by spells," the man clarified. "No spell in this game is capable of injuring people. Which means you won't be injured or harms by any spell that's been cast on you." I nodded in understanding. That was what I had figured. "There are forty different spells."

"Fourty?" I asked.

"Yes," the man replied. "The one cast on you was an inspection spell. Either Trace or Adhesion." And inspection spell... That didn't sound good... Probably trace considering he said Trace on... "In short, once the enemy uses these on you, he or she will know everything about you."

"Wait, everything?" I said, eyes widening, worried.

"Well, everything in your binder," the man clarified. I relaxed at that. "Some players wait near the starting point in order to cast these spells on new players. As soon as a player obtains a valuable card, they'll show up and steal it. In some cases, they kill their target."

"Like the guy who just died?" Puhat asked. "I won't be that easy to kill."

"No, he was killed by something else," the man clarified yet again. I almost rolled my eyes. Was it that hard to understand? "There is a violent faction hunting players. This was done by one of them… The Bomber."

"Bomber…" Gon repeated again, thinking.

"In this game, there are three ways to acquire item cards," the man with a weird hairstyle said. Three ways? "Do you know what they are?"

"Find them yourself," Gon immediately said.

"Trading," I immediately said after, earning a look from one of the people. He was probably going to say that... After a moment of silence Killua spoke up.

"Stealing from other players also," Killua stated.

"Yes, those are the three ways," the man continued. "However, the number of players stealing from others has recently increased. That's due to the card's difficulty to obtain and the card transformation limit system." It made sense to me up to the words 'card transformation limit system'.

"What is the 'card transformation limit system'?" I asked.

"Just what it says," another replied. "It's the system in the game that limits the number of times a card can transform." I was still confused so the tall one clarified.

"So if I have a specific card," he started, "And that card's transformation limit was 2 then the next person to obtain the card would be the second person with the card. Therefore the third person to attempt to obtain the card would be unable to obtain it as two people already have it."

"Oh..." I understood now.

"Players who can't obtain cards themselves choose to take them from others," the previous man continued to explain. "If those players resist, they're killed. When they die, their ring disappears, and their cards are lost. However, it increases the transformation limit of that type of card. If you kill a player, you can't take his cards. That rule was meant to keep players from killing one another."

"But now, it's back firing," another man said. "It's been over ten years since the game's release. If no one can find a way to beat it, the killing will only continue. That's why we're trying to end this mess. We're recruiting allies to clear this game. We need your help."

"How do you plan to obtain cards?" Puhat asked. "1) Find them yourself. 2) Trade for them. 3) Steal them. Which method will you use?" I too was curious. If they were gathering people to do it the old fashioned way that would be good, however...

"3…" The man replied.

"I assume you mean to use all three methods," one of the people asked. "But 3 will be the primary method."

"What so you'll still use force?" Another asked.

"That doesn't sound right at all..." I said, shaking my head. That made them no better than the people they were trying to stop.

"No! We won't use violence to reach our goal," the man clarified.

"Spells," Puhat stated. "You'll use spells. Am I right?"

"There are certain spells for taking cards, and there are cards that defend against those spells," the man said. "We'll focus on monopolizing these cards. We're going to use the very transformation limit that's frustrated the players. This is the only way to clear the game." I thought about it a second. So it was a valid game plan. There was nothing against it, they were just following the rules of the game. It was a pretty good plan but there were many flaws. If anyone holding the cards got killed, for example, or someone inside became a traitor. Everything would fall apart.

"I have met many players, and they all reached the same conclusion," the tall man said. "Even if you search for cards, they'll be taken from you eventually."

"That doesn't make any sense," I replied, earning a few glances. "If that's the case there's no use monopolizing anything... If it just will get taken eventually anyways. You're contradicting yourself."

"If you monopolize all the cards for taking and defending cards then the risk lowers considerably," the man clarified, pushing up his glasses again. "Because this game is based on players taking cards from each other. We will ensure that we can take cards from other players, while mitigating our risk of losing cards."

"Oh... OK."

"You're leaving out something important," Puhat said. "Upon clearing the game, how will you split the reward?"

"You were hired by Mr. Battera, right?" The chubby guy in the group asked, looking at him.

"So you knew who we were when you invited us." Puhat replied.

"Yeah. Mr. Battera also hired us to play this game," the chubby guy responded.

"That means the reward will be 50 billion," the guy who I presumed to be the leader of the group said. "We'll split it among everyone who helps."

"Currently, we have 53 players," the goy in the weird hairstyle said. This brought my attention. 53... That was a lot, and if others here helped, it could easily soon become 60 or 70. That's well less than a billion each. I could easily make more bringing old discarded objects from my world here. For me at least, I was no longer interested in the group's offer. Allies were nice, but I didn't like this so far. My instincts said not to. "It'll take two months to collect the remaining spell cards, and one month to get the cards we need. We can finish in three months." Three months was a long time...

"Of course, if you join us, we'll remove any spells cast on you," one of the men added, glancing at me. "What about you three?"

"Basil, Killua sorry," Gon said, looking down.

"Hmm? What?" Killua asked. I glanced at Gon in slight confusion as well.

"I'm out. I'm playing this game on my own," Gon replied, turning and heading off. Killua sighed as he started to follow, but paused and smiled.

"You heard the leader. I have to pass." Killua left as well, and I just smiled my thanks at them before saluting and turning to go as well.

"Yeah, I'm not interested, but thanks!"

"Oi Gon! Wait up!" Killua yelled as the two of us followed. Gon continued walking fast away, and I had to nearly jog to keep up with the two. "Hey Gon... Will you explain what that was all about?"Gon slowed and stopped walking after a second, letting out a sigh before turning back to the two of us.

"Sorry Killua, Basil. I couldn't take it anymore." Gon said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"I still don't see why you're apologizing," Killua responded.

"But this means Basil will be stuck with that spell for a while," Gon replied, looking at me.

"Oh, that's why," Killua said, glancing at me.

"I'll be fine," I responded. "If we get any rare or valuable cards I let you two hang onto them in that case, and it's not like the spell will kill me. We'll get it off on out own." I sighed. "Plus I wasn't wanting to join them in the first place..."

"Huh? Why not?" Killua asked.

"I can get more money easier, I didn't like their methods, and my instincts," I responded.

"But you two are playing this game to help me find my dad…" Gon said, seemingly worried. Killua made a face.

"Anyway, why were you so mad?" Killua asked, changing the subject.

"Because they had nothing but bad thing to say about the game Ging made," Gon replied, "like how it's based on killing and stealing. I want to do what Ging said, and enjoy the game. When I first started, I knew it wouldn't be easy. That was because I thought all the players enjoyed playing the game. People have died. But it's the player mentality, not the game, that scares me. They're willing to hurt others to get cards."

"Really? I think it makes sense," Killua replied. I nodded as well.

"Killua, Basil, you really mean that?" Gon asked, seemingly hurt.

"That's why this game is meant for Hunters," Killua said.

"But…"

"Killing is wrong." Killua said. "I agree with you on that part."

"Me too," I said with a nod.

"But if two players have a fair fight with predetermined rules, and the winner gets to take a card?" Killua continued, asking Gon.

"Th-That's acceptable." Gon said.

"See?" Killua said. "When that guy cast a spell on Basil and when those guys carry out their plan, they're just following the game's rules."

"Yeah…" Gon said, still down but anger dissipating.

"Though it does still feel lame," Killua said. "Well, forget about them. Let's enjoy this game."

"Yeah! I'm sure we'll get some cards here!" I said with a smile. "We should get some spell cards too. That guy was right, my barriers could be helpful to stall, but it's kind of cheating. Plus they tire me, so it'd be nice to get some spell cards after a bit." The two nodded in understanding.

"Let's go join in that rock-paper-scissors contest!" Gon suggested, both Killua and I nodding with smiles.

* * *

"Semi-Finals, round 7! Ready… Go!"

"First comes rock… Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

"Killua Wins!"

I smiled as I watched the two having fun. I'd lost prior, seeing one of the two would win the prize, and figured it'd be better if one of them got it anyways.

"Congratulations. Here is your prize, the Sword of Truth," the referee guy said, handing Killua a card with a sword.

"Book," Killus called out as we walked away and down the street. "It's a restricted slot, #83."

"Cool. Good thing I don't have it then, huh?" I said. Killua shrugged.

"The problem now is how we protect the card," Gon said. "We can't rely on Basil."

"We don't have any defensive spell cards," Killua said. "That would mean our next stop would be Masadora."

"Wait, kids!" The three of us stopped and looked back to see a man. "H-hand over the Sword of Truth! Do as I say and I won't be rough with you."

"No way, stupid," Killua replied. The three of us continued on.

"W-wait! Book!" The man called out.

"Book!" The three of us called as well, backing up.

"Hmph, you're bluffing," the man said. "I know that you just started this game. You have no defensive spells and all you would have in your restricted slots is the Sword of Truth."

"You sure about that?" I asked, moving my hand to my binder, glancing at it a moment before looking at the man, who looked hesitant. I didn't have any cards, but I was smart when bluffing. I knew, when you lied to someone, you didn't only have to talk the talk, you had to walk the walk. Even though I had no cards, he couldn't see that. It was one thing for one to call out their book, but someone messing with the pages, that's when it was harder to tell if they were bluffing or not. The man glanced between Killua and I before holding up a card. "This is Thief! This spell card lets you steal one random card from another player's restricted slots! Take this… Thief on! Attack Killu… Eh?!" The man no longer held the card, which was in Gon's hand. I smiled at Gon. That was smart.

"Haven't you been training at all, Mister?" Gon asked. "Next time, I won't return your card." Gon did indeed return his card.

"You must be an amateur," Killua stated. "I'm impressed you got into a game for Hunters. But that was very educational. An attack spell won't kick in until you finish the chant."

"Th-That only works against weak players!" The man called out as the three of us started off.

"Nice job Basil," Killua said. I smiled at him a second, earning a blush, but his blush and my smile both disappeared within seconds as many people appeared in front of us. Clearly they were pro hunters...

"If you want a card, you take it from someone," One, presumably the leader of the group, said. "Only fools would participate in tournaments. Understand, kids?"

"No," I replied. "I don't speak crab biscuit." The man looked at me in confusion before I clarified. "We participated for fun, the card was a bonus. Understand, Crab Biscuits?"

"Why you little-"

"Don't antagonize them Basil," Killua said, angrily tossing the card at them which they caught, then with a wave and a small 'bye' they left. Gon angrily continued forward, Killua and I trailing after him.

"I'm so pissed!" Gon said.

"Just forget it," Killua said. "Those guys were obviously pros. At least we didn't waste too much effort."

"I could have just used my counter barrier if they tried to attack us," I said. "But it was better we didn't fight them. It's different here, we need a better way to fight back."

"Dang it!" Gon said, still upset. "Then I'm going to start getting spell cards."

"Let's go to an information guy," Killua suggested. I nodded. "If we're heading to Masadora, we need a map."

"I'll go ask around," Gon said.

"Be careful," Killua replied. He then turned to me. "Crab Biscuit?"

"I picked it up after being on the sea for a while," I replied sheepishly. "Crab's good, but when put inside a biscuit looses it's flavor and blends together, and it's no longer crab."

"So in other words you called them cheap bastards who lost their worth?"

"Mm-hmm."

"I'll keep that in mind," Killua replied with a chuckle. I scowled when he messed with my hair and swatted his hand away, fixing it back up.

"Hey!"

"You need to get a haircut," Killua remarked. I just blinked at him. "You're getting split ends."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Killua! Basil!" The two of us looked towards Gon who came back over to us. "I found a place where we can buy some food and water, so we can start for Masadora!"

"How much money do we have?" Killua asked.

"120,000 Jenny," Gon replied. I was about to open my mouth to announce about my nearly 5 billion but decided against it. Who knew when it'd come in handy? I might need it later. Plus...

"That's a lot of money for some random fish thing," Killua remarked.

"They were pretty valuable," Gon replied.

I could have just eaten my fill at my own pace and not had to stuff myself... I could have paid... But I didn't know the money was the same here...

"We need to get a map first," Killua said. "Let's go find an information guy and buy a map."

"Agreed..." I said.

"What's wrong Basil?" Gon asked. Killua glanced at me in concern.

"Irony," I replied with a groan, hanging my head. "I'll be fine, I'll be fine..."

"You sure?" Killua asked.

"Yeah... Let's go find that information guy..." I sighed and started off, the two boys looking at each other before quickly following and walking with me.

* * *

It turned out we could get a filled in one, or a blank one. The blank one was cheaper, of course, for 20,000 Jenny. I suggested buying the already done one, because we had the money, but Gon wanted to fill in the map on his own. Plus, I knew we had more money but they didn't, and I didn't want to remind them how much I had or I figured we'd have problems...

After we got the blank map we paid some more for how to get to Masadora, then headed out of the store and started off.

"All right! Off we go!" Gon said happily.

"Please wait! I beg you!" The three of us stopped and looked back, Killua with a look of 'what now?' on his face.

"What?" Killua asked the girl standing behind us. She was pretty cute, blonde hair in pigtails, a pink poofy dress... She really didn't seem to belong here, but she was o she must be good.

"Please let me join you!" The girl asked.

"Oh, sorry," Killua said. "Can't."

"Wh-Why not?" The girl asked, eyes wide in confusion as she begged.

"You'd be a nuisance," Killua replied simply.

"Killua, that's mean," I said. "I personally think it's be nice to have another girl to talk to. Plus it couldn't hurt to have another ally."

"No way!" Killua retorted.

"Why not?! She asked politely. And she turned down the others!"

"So? Unlike you she'll be annoying! Come on Basil, Gon." Killua started off, hands in pockets, clearly annoyed. Gon glanced at me, then the blonde girl, then quickly followed after Killua. I sighed.

"Crab biscuit," I mumbled. Killua flinched, glancing back at me with a look on his face. I mouthed a sorry at the other girl then hurried after the two boys. "Come on Killua, the fact she made it in here with the screening we went through means she has to be good." Killua didn't respond. I just sighed.

It wasn't long until we'd made our way out of the city and to a forest. I couldn't help but notice the girl was following us and smiled to myself. Looked like she was coming anyways.

* * *

**Alright people, there's another chapter. Took me a while, but I hope you enjoy! I struggled a bit at the end there, IDK, it's kind of hard for me to write Bisky... And even harder for me to write more than three people at a time unless it's prewritten quotes... Which means next chapter will be hell T^T Thankfully Basil will make it interesting~! Hopefully~ XP Thanks for reading!**

**ALSO! There's a poll on my profile! Please input your opinion, thanks~**


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